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Scaling effects on the kinematics of suction feeding in fish remain poorly understood, at least partly because of the inconsistency of the results of the existing experimental studies. Suction feeding is mechanically distinct from most other type of movements in that negative pressure inside the buccal cavity is thought to be the most important speed-limiting factor during suction. However, how buccal pressure changes with size and how this influences the speed of buccal expansion is unknown. In this paper, the effects of changes in body size on kinematics of suction feeding are studied in the catfish Clarias gariepinus. Video recordings of prey-capturing C. gariepinus ranging in total length from 111 to 923 mm were made,from which maximal displacements, velocities and accelerations of several elements of the cranial system were determined. By modelling the observed expanding head of C. gariepinus as a …