NOTE OX CLARIAS CAPEXSIS. 



237 



Note on Clarias capensis C. & V. 



By 



O. A. Boiileii^:er, F.R.S. 



Although 'Barbels/ as the Clarias are called by the 

 colonists, are common over a considerable portion of South 

 Africa, little attention has been paid to their characters. A 

 species described in 1840 in Cuvier and Valenciennes^s great 

 work, Histoire des Poissons, vol. xv, p. 377, from a 

 single stuifed specimen labelled as from the ' Cape of (lood 

 Hope,^ a term which in those days was often taken to mean 

 South Africa, has until lately been a puzzle to ichthyologists. 

 This Clarias capensis was regarded by Giinther as a 

 doubtful synonym of Clarias gariepinus {Burcliell) , 1822, 

 a specimen of which had been described and figured by 

 Andrew Smith under the former name. Some years ago, I 

 had an opportunity of taking notes on the type specimen of 

 CI. capensis, preserved in the Paris Museum, and I 

 expressed the opinion (Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 255, 1901) 

 that it constitutes a species distinct from CI. gariepinus, 

 the common ' Barbel,' the range of which extends from 

 Angola and the Zambesi to the Orange River and Natal, 



The specimen of Clarias capensis remained unique 

 until a few months ago I received from Dr. Warren another 

 550 millim. (about 21 in.) long, procured from the pond in the 

 Botanic Gardens at Pietermaritzbui'g, which answers in 

 every important ])i>int to the long-sought-for Clarias 

 capensis. It is distinguished at a glance from CI. garie- 

 pinus, of which I have also received specimens from Dr. 

 Warren, in having the caudal part of the body (behind the 



