Hepthocleptis habereri is a small African catfish-like fish. It lives on the bottom of rivers in Central Africa and searches for food using long barbels.
Hepthocleptis habereri differs from related catfish by its special head structure and long barbels. It helps keep rivers clean by eating remains and small animals, and serves as food for larger fish.
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
bottom
Taxons
carnivore
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
swimming
no permanent shelter
Close
very hot and very humid all year round, rain almost every day
was
days
Barbels count
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
crustaceans
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
small planktonic crustaceans — copepods, krill
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
fish of small size
primary food sources
24 to 38 grams, 10 – 25 centimeters
Potential Habitat
About health
Pectoral fins count
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Repro interval
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Body size
river bottom
aquatic
Colors
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
No results found
Trophic type
Filters
small fish
On the map
lunge
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
small worms
Upcoming birthdays
world of Afrotropics
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
birth year
Maturity
Age (juvenile)
insect larvae and caterpillars
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
Foraging occurs on the floor of aquatic or terrestrial habitats.
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
Age (larva)
How similar?
Egg size
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
from birth to adulthood
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
insect larvae
Where do they live?
young after fast growth
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
from birth to death
Juvenile stage following larval metamorphosis but not yet adult.
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
world of Afrotropics
end of lifespan
Freshwater
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
Always hot and wet
Egg count
This is me
freshwater
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Gamers
Pets
How are they built?
all rivers and lakes
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
{name} jubilee
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
active predation
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
celebrated their {n} birthday
Dorsal fin count
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Daddies
Tropical savanna
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Barbels size
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
small worms without further specification
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Egg color
Tomato
Where are they found?
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
all rivers and lakes
Length
kg
Rapid forward strike to seize prey.
Observations
◉{N} more on tap