| Family: |
Ariidae (Sea catfishes), subfamily: Ariinae |
| Max. size: |
75 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 50 - 80 m |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Atlantic: commonly caught in coastal sea-waters from Cap Blanc (Mauritania) to Angola (Ref. 57224). Sporadically to Spanish Sahara and Morocco; enters estuaries and freshwater of rivers (Ref. 3876). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: body elongated and rounded; head broad and only slightly flattened above; snout rounded; mouth inferior; maxillary barbels reaching to pectoral fin bases, mandibular ones being shorter: osseous head shield, coarsely rugose, fairly visible through the skin (Ref. 57224). Occipital process moderately broad at base, tapering towards its distal end, with a median keel (Ref. 2683, 57224). Predorsal plate very rugose, short and crescent-shaped; premaxillary teeth villiform forming a plate slightly curved (Ref. 57224). Palatal teeth in single pair of rounded patches, well separated by a space smaller than their diameter (Ref. 57224, 81640). No gill-rakers on the posterior face of the 1st and 2nd arches (Ref. 57224). Total number of anterior gill-rakers on 1st arch: 11-14 (Ref. 57224, 81640). 11-15 gill rakers on the outer side of the entire 2nd arch (Ref. 81640). Dorsal fin short with a long, osseous serrated spine preceded by a very short one; dorsal and pectoral fins with a strong serrated, erectile spine; adipose fin well developed; caudal fin forked with long pointed lobes (Ref. 57224).
Coloration: olive brown above, belly whitish (Ref. 57224). |
| Biology: |
Marine species commonly found along the continental coast; often entering adjacent estuaries and freshwater rivers (Ref. 3876). Feeds on fish and shrimps (Ref. 28587). Males practise buccal incubation (Ref. 57224). Dorsal and pectoral serrated spines are venomous and can cause very painful wounds (Ref. 43448). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 09 January 2020 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
traumatogenic |
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