Clarias maclareni is a critically endangered species of catfish in the family Clariidae. It is endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo in western Cameroon. It is currently threatened because of pollution and sedimentation due to human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the lake's bottom (compare Lake Nyos). It is known to grow to 36 centimetres (14 in) TL. Large individuals feed mainly on other fishes (especially cichlids), while smaller individuals mainly feed on insects.

Clarias maclareni
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Clariidae
Genus: Clarias
Species:
C. maclareni
Binomial name
Clarias maclareni
Trewavas, 1962

Named in memory Peter Ian Rupert MacLaren (ca. 1919-1956), who used his position as Fisheries Development Officer of Nigeria to collect fishes for the British Museum, including type specimen of this catfish (from Cameroon) in 1948 (he died from wounds inflicted by a crocodile in what is now Zambia).[2]

References

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  1. ^ Moelants, T. (2010). "Clarias maclareni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T4958A11102442. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T4958A11102442.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order SILURIFORMES: Families CLARIIDAE, HETEROPNEUSTIDAE, ANCHARIIDAE and ARIIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 28 February 2021.