Ecological Risk Screening Summary - North African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) - High Risk

Species that are considered high risk have a well-documented history of invasiveness in at least one location globally, and a high or medium climate match to the contiguous United States.

The North African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) has a current distribution spanning from East Timor to Brazil and Puerto Rico. Indigenous to much of Africa’s inland waters and endemic in Israel, Syria, and parts of Turkey, the species has also been introduced–primarily for aquaculture–into numerous Asian and European countries, two countries in South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and several African countries where it did not originally occur. It is a hardy fish that is tolerant of extreme water conditions, has a high resistance to disease, grows rapidly, is an omnivorous and opportunistic feeder, exhibits high fecundity, and is attractive both for aquaculture and as a game fish. The history of invasiveness of C. gariepinus is High. There have been extensive introductions to other continents, subsequent reports of competition with and predation upon native species across multiple taxa, and hybridization with native congeners in invaded ecosystems. Clarias species are listed as injurious wildlife under 18 U.S.C. 42(a) of the Lacey Act, and possession or importation of C. gariepinus has been regulated by numerous States. The Climate match with the contiguous United States was High, particularly in Florida, the Southwest, California, and parts of the Northwest. The certainty of assessment is High. Given the documented impacts to native species and high overall climate match, the overall risk category for C. gariepinus for the contiguous United States is High.