The giraffe catfish, or bubu (''Auchenoglanis occidentalis''), is a species

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

found in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. It eats plants off the floor of lakes and streams. The diet of giraffe catfish is very dependent upon their environment. They keep an omnivorous diet but mainly eat insects present in the waters.

Distribution and habitat

The giraffe catfish is found throughout Africa in lakes and rivers, partially due to introduction and establishment in other areas.PlanetCatfish • Catfish of the Month • October 1999
/ref> It is found in many important lakes and rivers such as the

Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...

and

Lake Chad Lake Chad (, Kanuri language, Kanuri: ''Sádǝ'', ) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of . ...

. Its distribution includes bodies of water from East Africa to West Africa. It generally lives in shallow waters with muddy bottoms.

Anatomy and appearance

This fish has a maximum size that sources say is between two and three feet. The

giraffe The giraffe is a large Fauna of Africa, African even-toed ungulate, hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa.'' It is the Largest mammals#Even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on ...

-like pattern will fade with age to a two-tone mottled brown. Various subspecies have been described for this fish, indicating some geographical color variation.

Reproduction

Eggs are scattered in a nest and guarded by the male. '' Dinotopterus cunningtoni'' takes advantage of the care and allows the male giraffe catfish to care for its eggs and young, an example of interspecific brood care.

Relationship to humans

The giraffe catfish is occasionally imported for the

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

trade. Because of its large eventual size and its fast rate of growth, it is inappropriate for smaller aquaria. This fish will readily accept a variety of foods and is tolerant of a wide variety of water conditions. They will scavenge the aquarium looking for food, which could cause the uprooting of plants. This fish is also an important food fish in Africa.

References

*Risch, L.M., 2003. Claroteidae. p. 60–96 In C. Lévêque, D. Paugy and G.G. Teugels (eds.) Faune des poissons d'eaux douce et saumâtres de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, Tome 2. Coll. Faune et Flore tropicales 40. Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, Tervuren, Belgique, Museum National d'Histoire Naturalle, Paris, France and Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Paris, France. 815 p. {{Taxonbar, from=Q760309 Claroteidae Catfish of Africa Fish described in 1840 Taxa named by Achille Valenciennes