[2] The African butter catfish (Schilbe mystus) is a species of fish in the family Schilbeidae.

[3][5] The lifespan of the fish is estimated to be 6 to 7 years[5] It is commonly found in standing or slowly flowing open water of lakes, ponds, rivers, and shallow swamps where vegetation is present.

[4] It feeds from mid-water and surface waters on fish, insects, crustaceans, ostracods, snails, seeds, leaves, roots, diatoms, algae, and fruit.

[6][4][3][7] It has been noted to feed on the fish species Elephant snout (Hyperopisus bebe) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

In eastern Africa, the species is in serious decline due to overfishing and exploitation and is assessed regionally as Vulnerable.