List of Common Names of Freshwater Fishes of Senegal

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The information provided in this table is mainly obtained from Fishbase with correction of French spelling of Wolof words made where possible, and the Dictionnaire wolof-français by Fal et al. The links from the scientific names provide much information about the fish in question. P* indicates that pictures or photos are available in Fish base. More important fish are highlighted in yellow (where several names are included in the box, the key fish is the first listed).

Wolof Common name

English Common Name

French Common Name

Scientific name

banas	-	-	Marcusenius senegalensis senegalensis
banas	-	-	Brienomyrus niger
béjj bi (photo)	Widehead catfish Mudfish	-	Clarotes laticeps P*
bilik bi, xiip bi	Vundu Catfish, Sampa (US),	-	Heterobranchus longifilis P*
bilik bi, xiip bi	- Catfish	-	Heterobranchus bidorsalis
bun bi	Globe fish Puffer fish	-	Tetraodon lineatus P*
buuda bi	Snakehead	-	Parachanna obscura
capp mi Lebou: karamant	Grooved mullet	Mulet bouri Mulet (Senegal)	Liza dumerili P*
car bi Lebou: car mbex bi	Sicklefin mullet	Mulet à grandes nageoires , Mulet (Senegal)	Liza falcipinnis P*
caxat mi, suur duul, xos wi Lebou: buux	Banded jewelfish	Hemichromis (Senegal)	Hemichromis fasciatus P*
daakanje ji	Tailspot ctenopoma Kingsley's Ctenopoma Tailspot climbing perch	-	Ctenopoma kingsleyae
dabé bi	Spot-tail	-	Brycinus imberi P*
dabé bi	True big-scale tetra Silversides	-	Brycinus macrolepidotus
dabé bi	-	-	Brycinus leuciscus
galax wi	Aba	-	Gymnarchus niloticus P*
gàng bi -kala (photo)	-	-	Synodontis waterloti
gàng bi -kala, kala bi	Wahrindi	Silure	Synodontis schall
gàng bi -kala	-	-	Synodontis ocellifer
gàng bi-kala	Upsidedown catfish	-	Synodontis batensoda
gàng bi -kala	-	-	Synodontis annectens

geer wi (photo)	Tiger-fish	-	Hydrocynus brevis
geer wi	-	-	Hydrocynus forskalii P*
jën weex wi (photo)	Nile perch	perche du Nile capitaine	Lates niloticus P*
kala bi, gàng bi -kala	Wahrindi	Silure	Synodontis schall
majëmajaan, maj majaan bi, wañaar	Electric catfish	-	Malapterurus electricus P*
mbett mi (photo)	Moonfish		Citharinus citharus citharus Citharinus latus
nguurlo mi	Bubu Giraffe catfish	-	Auchenoglanis occidentalis P*
nguurlo mi	-	-	Auchenoglanis biscutatus
njagel bi, mbóor mi (photo)	African bonytongue	-	Heterotis niloticus
pett mi	-	-	Petrocephalus bovei bovei
rum bi (photo)	-	-	Hyperopisus bebe bebe P*
rum-boos bi	Mormyrids	-	Mormyrus rume
rum-boos bi	Elephant snout	-	Mormyrus hasselquistii P*
samba amul kawar mi Lebou: njasaan	Bigtoothed pellonula	Pellonale (Senegal), Sardine (Senegal)	Pellonula vorax P*
satt bu weex bi (photo)	African carp	-	Labeo senegalensis P*
satt xuun bi (photo)	African carp	-	Labeo coubie P*
sees bi (photo)	Bagrid catfish	-	Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus
sees bi	-	-	Chrysichthys auratus longifilis Invalid synonym: Chrysichthys auratus
segal bi , sëgal bi	Kafue pike African pike, Pike characid (USA)	-	Hepsetus odoe P*
selinje ji	Silversides	-	Alestes baremoze P*
selinje ji	Characin Silversides	-	Alestes dentex
ser	Reticulate knifefish	-	Papyrocranus afer
soomoor wi	-	-	Distichodus brevipinnis
soomoor wi	Grass-eater Perch	-	Distichodus rostratus
suur duul, caxat mi, xos wi Lebou: buux	Banded jewelfish	Hemichromis (Senegal)	Hemichromis fasciatus P*
tuuba bi (photo)	West African lungfish	-	Protopterus annectens annectens P*
waas wi, waas ñuul wi	Redbelly tilapia Zill's tilapia	Pastenague boulée (Senegal)	Tilapia zillii P*
waas wi, waas xos wi	Blue tilapia	-	Oreochromis aureus P*
waas wi (photo)	Nile tilapia Mozambique tilapia	Tilapia du Nil	Oreochromis niloticus niloticus P*
waas wi	Mango tilapia St. Peter's fish	-	Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus P*
waalus wi (photo)	Bayad	-	Bagrus bajad
xaab bi	Gray bichir	-	Polypterus senegalus senegalus P*
xell bi	African butter catfish African glass catfish, Butterfish, Silver catfish	-	Schilbe mystus P* Invalid synonym: Eutropius niloticus
xos wi , caxat mi, suur duul Lebou: buux	Banded jewelfish	Hemichromis (Senegal)	Hemichromis fasciatus P*
xos wi	Jewelfish African jewelfish (US)	Cichlide à deux taches (Canada)	Hemichromis bimaculatus P*
yes wi, yas wi	North African catfish Catfish, Barbel, Common Catfish, Mudfish (UK), Sharptooth catfish,	Poisson-chat nord-africain	Clarias gariepinus P*
yes wi, yas wi	Mudfish	-	Clarias anguillaris P*

References

Fal, Arame; Santos, Rosine; Doneux, Jean Léonce 1990 Dictionnaire Wolof-Français (Karthala, Paris)
Diaw, Abdoul Aziz 1976 Un Vocabulaire Wolof de la Faune au Sénégal (CLAD, Dakar)

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