Debauwi Catfish

About

Found in the lower Niger and Ouémé river systems, coastal lagoons, and the Cross River in Nigeria and Benin, this small schooling catfish, Pareutropius buffei, is a midwater swimmer with a distinctly elongated, almost transparent body marked by three horizontal stripes along the flanks and black spots on the upper and lower lobes of the forked tail. It is frequently sold under the name "Debauwi catfish," though true Pareutropius debauwi is rarely imported. If you see fish labeled as such, they are almost certainly this species. The stripe count is your best field mark: three stripes means buffei, one stripe means debauwi. In the aquarium, this is a genuinely peaceful fish that fits well into a community setup or a West African biotope tank, but it should never be paired with large or aggressive tankmates, which will quickly unsettle it. Keeping a group of at least six is not optional. Solo or small groups become timid and may refuse food, while a proper shoal is active and confident throughout the water column. Breeding is achievable with some effort: the fish scatter eggs among fine-leaved plants, and adults must be pulled from the breeding tank promptly to protect the eggs. An interesting option for the intermediate keeper who wants something a little different.