Churchill (Petrocephalus catostoma catostoma)

Scientific name: Petrocephalus catostoma catostoma G?nther, 1866

The Churchill (Petrocephalus catostoma catostoma) is a freshwater fish of the family Mormyridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 23–26°C (73–79°F).

Churchill care at a glance

Temperature: 23–26°C (73–79°F)

Biology

Occurs in shallow and muddy waters, sheltered bays, in lagoons, and swampy areas. Forms shoal. Prefers quiet parts of rivers where there is abundant vegetation. Feeds mostly on insect larvae and other invertebrates at night. Shoals within quiet reaches of rivers and floodplains. Oviparous. Known to undergo upriver migration which may well be correlated with breeding. Breeds during the rainy season, possibly moving upstream to suitable sites. An unconfirmed report claims the males are territorial and build a nest. Found schooling with other species with identical electric organ discharge waveforms. Caught in nets for food.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Petrocephalus catostoma catostoma
Family: Mormyridae (Elephantfishes)
Order: Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 15.0
Environment: Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Central and South Africa: eastward flowing rivers of Africa. Widespread from the Cunene, Okavango and Zambezi systems to the Pongolo. Also in the Zambian Congo, Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika and northwards to the Tana Rivers and Lake Victoria in Kenya.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec = 116)