Species sheet · The Edible River
African catfish
The catfish that breathes air and crosses the road.
- In pepper soup, a scalding broth of chilli and spices
- Grilled or smoked, Nigerian style
- Stewed with tomato and palm oil
- In French
- Clarias
- Scientific name
- Clarias gariepinus
- In the water
- A catfish of African swamps, lakes and rivers, at home in muddy, oxygen-poor water; farmed in tanks from Nigeria to the Netherlands.
- Season & buying
- Year-round, farmed; often sold live on African and Asian markets.
- Common length
- ~60 cm
- How to identify it
- Broad, flattened head, smooth scaleless skin
Four pairs of barbels around the mouth
A long dorsal fin running almost to the tail
On the plate
Firm, pinkish, rich flesh with no bones in the fillet, a frank flavour that loves spice.
Avoid: Skipping the skin cleaning: scald it and rub it with coarse salt or lemon, or the slime flavours the dish.
It breathes air through an organ above its gills and, on damp nights, crawls from one pool to the next on its pectoral fins.
In Umay recipes
One Umay recipe calls for it.
