Benin - List of fishes

It sometimes lives in brackish water. It easily accommodates to life in aquariums, but unfortunately its captive breeding is still impossible.

It has a body allowing it to breathe oxygen from the air and is able to survive in the mud. With its pectoral fins, sturdy and with large thorns, it may leave the water at night in search of prey or of a nesting site. It is used intensively in pisciculture under the name "Claresse". In some countries, it is an invasive species.

During breeding season, the males are very aggressive towards one another and it is also the case with females. The pair looks for a territory where there is a crevice to deposit their eggs. They will protect juveniles even after hatching. It accommodates well to life in the Aquarium.

It has special organs that allow it to breathe out of the water. In the dry season it silts up, gets surrounded by a cocoon made of mucus and reduces its biological activity to a minimum. It can remain in the state for more than a year. It belongs to the same class as the terrestrial vertebrates.