Bathyclarias nyasensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

View Printer Friendly

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	SILURIFORMES	CLARIIDAE

Scientific Name:	Bathyclarias nyasensis
Species Authority:	(Worthington, 1933)
Taxonomic Notes:	M. Banda (unpublished PhD thesis) proposes that the following species, all with those taxa with long gillrakers, are synonyms of this species: Bathyclarias loweae Jackson, 1959; Bathyclarias ilesi Jacksoni, 1959; and Bathyclaris jacksoni (Greenwood, 1961).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2006
Assessor/s:	Kasembe, J.
Reviewer/s:	Snoeks, J. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Darwall, W. (Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Programme)
Justification: Endemic to lake Malawi. No widespread major threats identified.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Endemic to Lake Malawi. Occurs throughout the lake.
Countries:	Native: Malawi; Mozambique; Tanzania, United Republic of
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	No information available.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It feeds on zooplankton (larger fish) as well as fish (smaller fish). The smaller fishes occur inshore. This species is frequently caught at depths of up to 250 m but also occurs in shallow water (from 8 m). Sexual maturity is reached at about 50 cm total length and spawning occurs in November. It is the most abundant and economically important species in the endemic clariid flock in Lake Malawi. It is usually caught in gill nets. Max. size: Attains a maximum total length of 107 cm.
Systems:	Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

It feeds on zooplankton (larger fish) as well as fish (smaller fish). The smaller fishes occur inshore. This species is frequently caught at depths of up to 250 m but also occurs in shallow water (from 8 m). Sexual maturity is reached at about 50 cm total length and spawning occurs in November. It is the most abundant and economically important species in the endemic clariid flock in Lake Malawi. It is usually caught in gill nets. Max. size: Attains a maximum total length of 107 cm.

Systems:

Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Over-fishing in the southern arms of the lake.

Major Threat(s):

Over-fishing in the southern arms of the lake.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	None.

Conservation Actions:

None.

Bibliography [top]

	Banda, M. 2000. The biology and ecology of the catfishes of the genera Bathyclarias and Bagrus in Lake Malawi. In: Unpublished PhD thesis. Greenwood, P.H. 1961. A revision of the genus Dinotopterus Blgr. (Pisces, Clariidae) with notes on the comparative anatomy of the suprabranchial organs in the Clariidae. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 7: 215–241 IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006. Jackson, P.B.N. 1959. Revision of the clariid catfishes of Nyasaland, with a description of a new genus and seven new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 132(1): 109–128 Kaunda, E. and Hecht, T. 2003. Life history traits of Bathyclarias nyasensis (Siluroidei) in Lake Malawi. African Zoology 38(1): 45–55 Lowe, R.H. 1952. Report on the Tilapia and other fish and fisheries of Lake Nyasa, 1945–47. Colonial Fishery Publications 1(2): 1–126. Thompson, A.B., Allison, E.H. and Ngatunga, B.P. 1996. Distribution and breeding biology of offshore pelagic cyprinids and catfish in Lake Malawi/Nyasa. Environmental Biology of Fishes 47(1): 27–42

Banda, M. 2000. The biology and ecology of the catfishes of the genera Bathyclarias and Bagrus in Lake Malawi. In: Unpublished PhD thesis.

Greenwood, P.H. 1961. A revision of the genus Dinotopterus Blgr. (Pisces, Clariidae) with notes on the comparative anatomy of the suprabranchial organs in the Clariidae. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 7: 215–241

IUCN. 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 04 May 2006.

Jackson, P.B.N. 1959. Revision of the clariid catfishes of Nyasaland, with a description of a new genus and seven new species. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 132(1): 109–128

Kaunda, E. and Hecht, T. 2003. Life history traits of Bathyclarias nyasensis (Siluroidei) in Lake Malawi. African Zoology 38(1): 45–55

Lowe, R.H. 1952. Report on the Tilapia and other fish and fisheries of Lake Nyasa, 1945–47. Colonial Fishery Publications 1(2): 1–126.

Thompson, A.B., Allison, E.H. and Ngatunga, B.P. 1996. Distribution and breeding biology of offshore pelagic cyprinids and catfish in Lake Malawi/Nyasa. Environmental Biology of Fishes 47(1): 27–42

Citation:	Kasembe, J. 2006. Bathyclarias nyasensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided