Fish profile · Clariidae

North African catfish

Clarias gariepinus

FoodFreshwater Invasive in MalaysiaLeast Concern (IUCN)

Also called African sharptooth catfish

An African catfish introduced for aquaculture and identified by Malaysia’s Department of Fisheries as an invasive threat. Its tolerance of difficult water conditions helps it persist outside farms.

Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 5 sources

Photo of North African catfish — (c) Caleb Catto, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY

Max length: 70 cm
IUCN: LC; Least Concern
In Malaysia: Invasive
Family: Clariidae; order Siluriformes

Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.

How big?

Linear scale · person 170 cm

Up to 70 cm.

The person is 170 cm tall.

Where in Malaysia

6 open-licence records · GBIF

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Recorded (open records)

Recorded in Sabah, Kedah, Melaka, Pulau Pinang, and Selangor. Based on 6 open-licence records on GBIF. Few records can mean few surveys, not few fish.

How to identify

Long cylindrical body without scales
Dark upper body and paler underside
Long dorsal and anal fins
Strong spines on the pectoral fins

Habitat

Lowland rivers Lakes

Swamps, rivers, lakes and seasonally flooded habitats in its original range.

Diet: Almost anything: tiny water animals, small bottom animals and fish, with some algae, plants and rotting matter.
Native range: Africa.

Eating

An important aquaculture food fish.

Sources

Last reviewed 26 October 2026