Semutundu (Bagrus docmak)

Scientific name: Bagrus docmak Forssk?l, 1775

Semutundu (Bagrus docmak)

The Semutundu (Bagrus docmak) is a freshwater fish of the family Bagridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 21–25°C (70–77°F).

Semutundu care at a glance

Temperature
21–25°C (70–77°F)

Biology

Inhabit lakes, swamps and rivers. Widespread in both shallow and deep water. Probably associated with rocky bottoms/coarse substrates. Mostly active during the night and the twilight hours. Juveniles may frequent exposed rocky shores. Feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks and fish. Some debris and vegetable matter may also be ingested. Moderately important as a food species in Lake Victoria, but becoming rare with the appearance of Nile perch. Catches decreased strongly in Lake Victoria after the Lates upsurge. Predation by Lates and competition with Lates (for haplochromines) may have played a role in the decline. A notably recovery in waters between 3m and 6m depth in Lake Victoria has been reported. Second most important f

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Bagrus docmak
Family
Bagridae (Bagrid catfishes)
Order
Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
127
Common length
62.0
Depth range
0–80 m (0–262 ft)
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.5 - 8.2; dH range: ? - 30 benthopelagic; depth range 0 - 80 m, usually 0 - 70 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Rivers Nile, Niger, Senegal, Volta and Lake Chad basins. East African rift lakes, except Lake Kivu, where it was introduced in 1959 and 1960, apparently without success.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm-2-3; tmax=5; K=0.06-0.35; Fec=2,000-774,000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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