Heterobranchus boulengeri
Encyclopedia
Heterobranchus boulengeri is a freshwater
catfish
found in Africa
. It is closely related to the Vundu
, which is well-known among fishermen.
. Its gill
arches extend anteriorly. The males of this species can reach 64.0 cm in length.
s and lake
s. It is Demersal, preferring the bottom of these bodies of water.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
found in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It is closely related to the Vundu
Vundu
The vundu is a catfish found in the African countries of Niger, Senegal, Egypt, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia. It is also called the cur, lenda, or certa....
, which is well-known among fishermen.
Description
Heterobranchus boulengeri has short barbelsBarbel (anatomy)
A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...
. Its gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
arches extend anteriorly. The males of this species can reach 64.0 cm in length.
Habitat
Heterobranchus boulengeri is found in tropical freshwater riverRiver
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s and lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s. It is Demersal, preferring the bottom of these bodies of water.