Rendahl's Catfish, Porochilus rendahli (Whitley 1928)
Rendahl's Catfish, Porochilus rendahli. Source: Dave Wilson. License: All rights reserved
Rendahl's Catfish, Porochilus rendahli (Whitley 1928)
More Info
Distribution |
Known only from the Fitzroy River, WA (124°E) to Jardine River, QLD (142°20’E); tropical; inhabiting mud-bottoms of lowland lagoons, flowing creeks and backwaters near aquatic vegetation in clear or turbid water. |
Features |
Dorsal fin I, 5-7; 2nd Dorsal+Caudal+Anal 104-127; Pectoral fin I, 9-11; Pelvic fin 10-13; Vertebrae 44-49
Body elongate, slender, laterally compressed and tapering posteriorly; tail pointed; head broad and flattened; head and nape profile concave; head length 17.5-20.8% SL; maximum body depth 19.3-22.2% SL; eyes closer to the snout than any other species in the family; gill rakers on first arch 22-26; lateral line continuous; premaxilla with a small rectangular patch of tiny pointed teeth on each side of the midline; teeth on palate large, rounded; teeth in lower jaw pointed in front, molariform behind; nasal barbel extending to, or beyond posterior end of head; maxillary barbel reaching well behind eye; outer mental barbel reaching to or beyond base of pectoral fin base; inner mental barbel is slightly shorter; anterior nostrils on end of snout, above upper lip, anterior to nasal barbel. Absent, body covered in smooth skin. First dorsal fin small with a short, sharp spine and 5 to 7 soft rays; 2nd dorsal and anal fins confluent with caudal fin; base of caudo-dorsal fin less than 15% of SL, originating well back on posterior-most part of body; pectoral fin with sharp spine bumpy or barbed on inner side and 9-11 soft rays. |
Size |
To 24 cm. |
Colour |
Ranges from uniform or mottled dark grey to a pale yellowish-brown, usually with a golden sheen. White specimens with dark eyes and occasional spots on the body are also known. |
Feeding |
Primarily feeds from the bottom on aquatic insects, microcrustaceans, molluscs and some detritus. |
Biology |
Length at maturity is 100mm TL for males and 110 for females; in the Alligator Rivers region P. rendahli migrate into lowland muddy lagoons for spawning in the early wet season. Estimated fecundity is around 900 eggs; eggs around 1.3 mm diameter |
Remarks |
Often forms large schools. |
Species Citation |
Copidoglanis obscurus Rendahl, H. (1922) A contribution to the ichthyology of north-west Australia. Meddr. Zool. Mus. Kristiania 5: 163-197. Glencoe, Hermit Hill, NW Australia. |
Author |
Martin F. Gomon |
Rendahl's Catfish, Porochilus rendahli (Whitley 1928)
References
Allen 1989
Allen et al 2002
Larson & Martin
Pusey et al 2007