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Pale catfish (Notoglanidium pallidum) — Claroteidae

Pale catfish

Notoglanidium pallidum
Family: Claroteidae

The Pale catfish (Notoglanidium pallidum) is a freshwater fish of the family Claroteidae that grows up to 8 cm.

Length
8 cm
Water
Freshwater
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Snake-like
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Can cause injury

Description

The Pale catfish is a claroteid catfish (Claroteidae) from rivers, streams and swamps of Central Africa. The species grows to about 20 cm and has an elongate, scaleless, grey-brown body with four pairs of barbels, an adipose fin and stout spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins. As a nocturnal bottom-dweller it searches over sand and mud for insect larvae, worms, snails and small fish. The fin spines can give a painful puncture wound if handled carelessly.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Pale catfish?

The Pale catfish has a snake-like body and is mainly brown.

Where does the Pale catfish live?

The Pale catfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Pale catfish get?

The Pale catfish grows to a maximum of about 8 cm.

Is the Pale catfish dangerous to humans?

The Pale catfish can cause injury; handle it with care.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bleke naaktmeerval sourced
English name
Pale catfish sourced
Scientific name
Notoglanidium pallidum
Family
Claroteidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
8.0 verified
Body shape
Snake-like sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Can cause injury verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Notoglanidium

More from the family Claroteidae

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