Scientific Name
Bagrus bajad

Common Name
Bayad

Biology
Found in lakes, swamps and rivers (Ref. 31256). Avoids salt water (Ref. 31439). Spends nearly the whole of the daylight hours in crevices of rocks and is therefor seldom seen (Ref. 51850). Lives and feeds on or near the bottom (Ref. 3034). Adults exclusively piscivorous (Ref. 31256). Preys on small fish, particularly Alestes spp. (Ref. 13851), or Chrysichthys auratus as in Lake Kainji (Ref. 3034); also feeds on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, vegetable matter (Ref. 28714). Efficiency of catching prey catfish is maximised by face to face attack, avoiding damage by dorsal and pectoral spines of the prey (Ref. 33614). There is some indication that the species comes to shallower water to breed (Ref. 43507). Spawning season extends from April to July (Ref. 51850). Parents build and guard the nest, which is like a flat disc with a central hole where the eggs a

Classification

Classified By

Forssk?l, 1775

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Bagrid catfishes (Bagridae)

Distribution

Region

Africa

Distribution

Africa: Nile River, Lake Chad, Niger and Senegal River, Lakes Mobutu (Lake Albert) and Turkana. Reported from Sanaga River basin (Ref. 27691).

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

22 °C

Water Temperature To

28 °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

60 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range ? - 60 m (Ref. 43507)

Trophic Level

3.99 s.e. 0.70 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

112 cm

Common Length

50.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5005 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=4-5; tmax=8; K=0.18; Fec=18,630-47,920)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)