Eel catfish (Channallabes apus) care guide

Group
Freshwater fish
Other names
Eel catfish, African eel catfish, Eel-like air-breathing catfish
Family
Clariidae (air-breathing walking catfishes)
Origin
Central Africa from the Kouilou basin (Republic of the Congo) to the Loge basin (Angola), including the lower, middle and upper Congo, in forest streams, swamps and rapids.
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
41.6 cm
Temperature
22–25°C
pH
6.5–7.8
Hardness
Soft to hard, up to 25 dGH
Minimum tank
200 litres
Care level
intermediate
Temperament
semi_aggressive

Care

A strange, eel-shaped catfish with a tiny head, very small eyes and no pelvic fins; the dorsal, tail and anal fins run together into one long fin fold. FishBase gives a maximum of about 42 cm total length, but the body is very slim, so it is less bulky than that figure suggests. Our minimum tank size is an estimate for one adult; the tank must be long rather than tall. It is a notorious escape artist. Like other clariids it can breathe air and survive out of water for a while, and it will find any gap in a lid. Use a tight, weighted cover with all cable and pipe holes sealed. Give it a soft sand substrate to burrow into, plenty of roots, pipes and caves, and dim light. Leave a little air space under the lid, as it gulps air at the surface. FishBase gives 22–25 °C, pH 6.5–7.8 and up to 25 dGH. Clean water and good filtration are needed, as it is a messy feeder. In the wild it lives in forest streams, swamps and rapids and is reported to catch prey on land. Sexing is not well documented. Its relatives include the walking catfish (Clarias); handle carefully, as the pectoral spines can give a painful jab. PlanetCatfish has a page for this species but we could not read it for this update. FishBase lists it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessed 2009). It turns up only occasionally, usually as wild-caught fish from the Congo. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: FishBase (fishbase.se/summary/Channallabes-apus.html). Checked October 2026.

Diet

An omnivorous, mostly nocturnal scavenger and predator that hunts among roots. Feed sinking pellets and tablets, earthworms, bloodworm, prawn and pieces of fish or mussel. It will eat small fish.

Breeding

Not reported in aquaria.

Compatibility and tank mates

Best kept alone or with robust, medium-sized fish that live in the upper water and are too large to swallow. It will eat small fish and shrimps at night. Several eel catfish can be kept together in a large tank with plenty of hiding places, but squabbles over caves happen.

Last updated 5 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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