Siluranodon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siluranodon auritus |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Schilbeidae |
| Genus: | Siluranodon Bleeker, 1858 |
| Species: |
S. auritus
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| Binomial name | |
| Siluranodon auritus (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1809)
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| Synonyms | |
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The Siluranodon auritus is a special type of catfish. It is the only known species in its group, called the Siluranodon genus. This fish belongs to the Schilbeidae family of catfish.
About the African Catfish
Where It Lives
This unique catfish can be found in several large rivers and basins in Africa. It lives in the famous Nile River. You can also find it in the Chad Basin, Niger River, Volta River, and Komoé River areas. In a swampy area called the Sudd, these fish often hide under floating plants like Eichhornia.
What Makes It Special?
For a long time, people thought these fish had no teeth. But scientists have found that they do have very tiny teeth! As the fish grows older, the teeth on its upper jaw can get damaged and fall out. The teeth on its lower jaw can even be covered by the bone around them.
Siluranodon auritus is also special because it shows something called pedomorphosis. This means it keeps many features from when it was a young fish even after it grows up. For example, it doesn't have a stiff dorsal fin spine like many other fish. It also has fewer ribs. This catfish can grow to be about 17.5 centimetres (6.9 inches) long.
What It Eats
When they are adults, Siluranodon auritus are filter-feeders. This means they swim with their mouths open and filter tiny bits of food from the water. They mostly eat very small plants called phytoplankton. They also eat tiny animals called zooplankton. Scientists have looked inside their stomachs and found zooplankton, small insect larvae like chironomids, and other small bits of material.
Reproduction
These catfish reproduce by laying eggs. This is called being oviparous. The female fish lays her eggs, but she does not guard them. The eggs are left on their own to develop.
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