Scientific Name
Arius madagascariensis

Common Name
Madagascar sea catfish

Biology
Anal soft rays: 16. Body moderately compressed (Ref. 56505). Head width 17.5-20.5 % of SL (Ref. 56505). A single pair of ovoid vomerine tooth patches (Ref. 56505). Dorsal surface of head and body uniform gray to grayish brown, upper third of head and body darkest, gradually fading to a lighter color along middle third of head and body; lower third and ventral surfaces of head and body dirty white (Ref. 56505). Adipose fin gray, dorsal-fin rays gray, fin-rays of all other fins with scattered gray melanophores (Ref. 56505).

Classification

Classified By

Vaillant, 1894

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Sea catfishes (Ariidae)

Distribution

Region

Africa

Distribution

Africa: western coast of Madagascar; seldom on the eastern coast. Also found in Mozambique (Ref. 5213) and Tanzania (Ref. 4967).

Range

5°N - 25°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; anadromous (Ref. 51243)

Trophic Level

3.73 s.e. 0.50 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

70.0 cm

Common Length

20.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (63 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Traumatogenic (Ref. 58010)

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)