Taxonomy & naming
Parauchenoglanis monkei was described by Franz Keilhack in 1910 from near Logobaba in Cameroon, and is now valid in Parauchenoglanis in the family Auchenoglanididae. Stores sell it under its scientific name.
The genus name means near Auchenoglanis, the neighbouring genus of African catfishes. The epithet is a patronym honouring a person named Monke.
Morphology
A stout, bagrid-like catfish with four pairs of barbels. FishBase gives a maximum of 6 in SL and also reports a maximum total length of 9.5 in.
Habitat
FishBase records it from the Ouémé River in Benin through the Sanaga and Dja rivers in Cameroon, and from the middle Congo basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. No temperature, pH or hardness range is recorded.
Feeding
FishBase describes it as nocturnal and crepuscular, preying on insect larvae, crustaceans and small fishes.
Mating
Mating is not described for this species.
Breeding
No spawning behaviour or captive breeding is recorded.
In the aquarium
It needs a roomy tank with caves, roots and shade, since it is active at dusk and at night. Small fish and shrimp are prey, so choose tankmates too big to eat. Feed meaty foods after lights-out.
Conservation
The IUCN Red List assessed Parauchenoglanis monkei as Least Concern in 2019. The sources the atlas uses record no specific threats, and the range spans several large drainages.