Silver Grasscutter/Silver Butter Catfish Schilbe intermedius

There are several Grasscutter Catfish in the genus Schilbe native to Africa and so-named because their anal fin resembles the blade of the old scythe grass cutters. Like most fish, as they age, the lined (Silver Grasscutter, S. intermedius) or marbled (Marbled Grasscutter, S. marmoratus) pattern fades, making ID more difficult. The Silver Grasscutter Catfish, also called Silver Butter Catfish, is distributed widely in African rivers and lakes, from Senegal to Somalia and south to South Africa, gets browner with age (younger fish have two dark lateral bands) and grows to 30cm long.

Populations in the northwest of its extensive range usually do not have an adipose fin, but eastern, central and southern usually have one. It eats smaller fish. In the rainy season it migrates in schools to spawn in floodwater pools. (The Marbled Grasscutter does not have an adipose fin (as some others of the species do) and grows to around 20cm long. They also swim in small groups in mid water and move to flooded plains to spawn.)