Scientific Name
Schilbe intermedius

Common Name
Silver catfish

Biology
Reported to be a pelagic species (Ref. 34290). Occur mainly on shallow waters. Migrate to the surface at night (Ref. 34291). Feed on a wide range of invertebrates including terrestrial insects and whole or pieces of fish (Ref. 28714). Primarily piscivorous at 13-34 cm TL (Ref. 34291). Rarely grow to lengths greater than 30 cm SL (Ref. 34290). Spawn throughout the year peaking once (Ref. 34291). Migrate into rivers in fairly compact schools during the rainy season to spawn in floodwater pools (Ref. 34291). Oviparous, eggs are unguarded (Ref. 205).

Classification

Classified By

R?ppell, 1832

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Schilbid catfishes (Schilbeidae)

Distribution

Region

Africa

Distribution

Africa: Senegal, Gambia, Casamance, Corubal, Geba, Little Scarcies, Sassandra, Boubo, Bandama, Agn?bi, M?, Como?, Tano, Pra, Volta basin, Mono, Sio, Ou?m?, Ogun, entire Niger and Chad basins, Cross, Wouri and Sanaga; absent between Little Scarcies and Sassandra; further in the entire Congo River basin, Malagarasi, Luiche, Cunene, Okavango, entire Zambezi including the Kafue system, Lake Kariba, Webi Shebeli, Wando, Tana, Galana, Athi, Wami, Rufiji-Ruaha, Lake Rukwa, lower Sabi-Lundi, Shire below Murchison Falls, Lake Chilwa, Ruvu, Pungwe, Limpopo, Incomati and Pongola (Ref. 43912).

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

60 m

Zone

pelagic

Environment

Freshwater; pelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 60 m (Ref. 34291), usually 0 - 30 m (Ref. 34291)

Trophic Level

3.6 s.e. 0.60 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

60.5 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquaculture: commercial

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (63 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tmax=5, probably greater; K

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)