Scientific Name
Schilbe mystus

Common Name
African butter catfish

Biology
Also caught with drawnets. Shoals in standing or slowly flowing open water with emergent or submerged vegetation. Generally more active at night or in subdued light. Feed from mid-water and surface waters on a wide variety of foods including fish, insects, shrimps, snails, plant seeds, and fruit. Oviparous, eggs are unguarded (Ref. 205). Breed during the rainy season and may be either a single or multiple spawner in different localities, laying eggs on vegetation. May live up to 6-7 years (Ref. 7248).

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1758

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Schilbid catfishes (Schilbeidae)

Distribution

Region

Africa

Distribution

Africa: including the Nile and the Zambesi system.

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

23 °C

Water Temperature To

27 °C

Depth From - meters

4 m

Depth To - meters

69 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 4 - 69 m

Trophic Level

3.45 s.e. 0.56 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

40.0 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

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.09-0.94; tmax=6-7; assuming fec > 10,000)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)