Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Siluriformes (Catfish) >
Ariidae (Sea catfishes) > Ariinae
Etymology: Arius: Greek, arios, areios = dealing with Mars, warlike, bellicose (Ref. 45335). More on author: Günther.
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 70 m (Ref. 6541), usually ? - 30 m (Ref. 6541). Tropical, preferred ?
Eastern Atlantic: coastal waters from Senegal to Angola (Ref. 3546, 3876, 7367, 57224). One record from Fernando Poo (Ref. 6541, 89460). Also reported from various river estuaries (Ref. .
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 27 - 28 cm
Max length : 85.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 33115); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2683)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 1;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 7;
Anal
spines: 0;
Anal
soft rays: 13 - 14. Diagnosis: body elongated and rounded, head broad and only slightly flattened above, snout rounded, mouth inferior; osseous head shield coarsely rugose, fairly visible through the skin; occipital process prominently broad at base, tapering posteriorly, with a median keel; predorsal plate very rugose, short and crescent-shaped; premaxillary teeth villiform, forming a plate slightly curved; palatine teeth in two pairs of patches, an anterior subquadrate pair and a posterior elongated pair, the anterior one wider and continuous with the posterior patch; no gill-rakers on posterior face of the first and second branchial arches; total number of anterior gill-rakers: on 1st arch 17-22, on 2nd arch 18-23 (Ref. 3546, 7367, 57224). Dorsal and pectoral fins with a strong serrated, erectile spine; adipose fin well developed (Ref. 57224).
Mainly marine but frequently found in brackish estuaries, sometimes enters freshwater (Ref. 3876). Frequent in lagoons (Ref. 7367). Common during winter (Ref. 2683). Feeds on fish, benthic invertebrates, zooplankton and detritus (Ref. 28587). Wide range of diet including a high percentage of penaeid and other prawns, crabs, polychaetes, fish and molluscs (Ref. 57352). Eggs very
few, spherical, very large (16-17 mm diameter); males practise buccal incubation (Ref. 57224). Ornamental and sometimes considered aquaria fish (Ref. 27121), the fish is venomous and can be dangerous to humans (Ref. 12484).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Schneider, W., 1990. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the commercial marine resources of the Gulf of Guinea. Prepared and published with the support of the FAO Regional Office for Africa. Rome: FAO. 268 p. (Ref. 2683)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
More information
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
