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Amphilius natalensis Boulenger, 1917

Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9.

Common Names

  • Natalse bergbaber , Afrikaans , South Africa
  • Natal mountain catfish , English , South Africa
  • Natal mountain catfish , English , Zimbabwe
  • 南非平鰭鮠 , Mandarin Chinese , China
  • 南非平鳍鮠 , Mandarin Chinese , China

    • Taxonomic Hierarchy

    Kingdom: Animalia

    Phylum: Chordata

    Class: Teleostei

    Order: Siluriformes

    Family: Amphiliidae

    Genus: Amphilius

    Species: Amphilius natalensis Boulenger, 1917

    Climate Zone

  • Tropical

    • Location

  • Africa: Escarpment streams from lower Zambezi River in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe to Umkomaas system in KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, South Africa (Ref. 52193); also in Ruo River of Zambezi system in Malawi (Ref. 3818, 52193).

    • Biology

    Lives among cobbles and rocks in swiftly flowing water (Ref. 52193). Active at night, feeding on benthic stream invertebrates such as mayfly and midge larvae (Ref. 52193). Breeds in summer (Ref. 52193). Iteroparous, with asynchronous ovarian development (Ref. 51405). Preyed upon by trout and is now scarce in certain streams (Ref. 7248, 52193).

    Habitat

    demersal