AFRICAN SHARPTOOTH CATFISH
The
African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepnus, is a dominant freshwater
fish that occurs throughout Africa, and is an esteemed angling and food fishing
amongst the local people. Catfish play an important role in the food chain, and
are themselves a favourite food item of the Nile crocodile, marabou stork and
fish eagle.
Their
growth rate depends on food availability and water temperature, and can be
extremely rapid. The lifespan of an african sharptooth catfish is estimated at
around 8 to 10 years.
Recently there has been a surge of interest and investment in farming this
species due to the excellent advantages offered by this hardy, fast growing
species. In terms of quantities of catfish produced in South Africa in previous
years amounted to some 240 tons in 2002.
Today
there are commercial catfish operations producing good members of fish from
high-tech intensive re-circulating systems to supply the export market. A large
export market is believed to exist in Europe and the Far East for producers able
to produce the sustainable volumes required entering this market.
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