HomeFreshwater aquarium fishCatfish & plecosKampoyo Kampoyo (Bagrus meridionalis) Scientific name: Bagrus meridionalis G?nther, 1894 The Kampoyo (Bagrus meridionalis) is a freshwater fish of the family Bagridae. Native range: Africa, Endemic to Lake Malawi. BiologyOccurs from the lower reaches of rivers to the deepest habitable parts of the lake. Inhabits a variety of habitats. Feeds on small demersal cichlids during the night. Juveniles mainly feed on trophic eggs released by the female, whilst the male helps the young in searching for invertebrates in and around the nest. Mutualistic relationship with cichlids concerning defense and feeding of young of both the cichlid and B. meridionalis. Symbiotic relationship of parasitized host-parasite eater exist with Pseudotropheus crabro, which eats away necrotic tissue and parasites, but also steals eggs. Oviparous. Can produce sound as Amia or Synodontis species. Considered as a delicacy when smoked, making it one of the most highly priced fishesSource: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameBagrus meridionalisFamilyBagridae (Bagrid catfishes)OrderSiluriformes (Catfish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length150Common length42.0Depth range0–60 m (0–197 ft)EnvironmentFreshwater; demersal; depth range 0 - 60 mClimateTropicalDistributionAfrica: Endemic to Lake Malawi.Conservation status (IUCN)Least Concern (LC)Threat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercialResilienceMedium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.09; tmax=17; tm=4) More catfish & plecosMicroglanis iheringiMegalechis thoracataCorydoras sterbaiFalse network catfishCorydoras sodalisSchwartz's catfishCorydoras schwartziGreen gold catfishCorydoras melanotaeniaSee all catfish & plecos SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026