Crucifix sea catfish (Sciades proops)

Scientific name: Sciades proops Valenciennes, 1840

Crucifix sea catfish (Sciades proops)

The Crucifix sea catfish (Sciades proops) is a freshwater fish of the family Ariidae. Native range: Western Atlantic, Caribbean and Atlantic draining rivers and estuaries from Colombia to Brazil.

Biology

Inhabits mainly brackish estuaries and lagoons. Occurs also in freshwaters. Found on shallow muddy bottoms. Feeds on fish and shrimps. Two annual cycles of slower growth occur during the dry seasons (March and August to November). Life span is three to four years. Sexually mature at 1.5 to 2 years of age. Reproduction takes place from November to April. Consumed as food. Marketed fresh. The skull is sold throughout the world as crucifix.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Sciades proops
Family
Ariidae (Sea catfishes)
Order
Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
100.0
Common length
50.0
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Caribbean and Atlantic draining rivers and estuaries from Colombia to Brazil.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm=1.5; tmax=3.5; K=0.5)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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