Rough-head sea catfish (Arius latiscutatus)

Scientific name: Arius latiscutatus G?nther, 1864

Rough-head sea catfish (Arius latiscutatus)

The Rough-head sea catfish (Arius latiscutatus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Ariidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Dakar, Senegal to Angola; one record from Fernando Poo. Also reported from various river estuaries.

Biology

Mainly marine but frequently found in brackish estuaries, sometimes enters freshwater. Common during winter. Feeds on fish, benthic invertebrates, zooplankton and detritus. Ornamental and sometimes considered aquaria fish, the fish is venomous and can be dangerous to humans.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Arius latiscutatus
Family
Ariidae (Sea catfishes)
Order
Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
70.0
Common length
40.0
Depth range
70 m (230 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 70 m, usually ? - 30 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Dakar, Senegal to Angola; one record from Fernando Poo. Also reported from various river estuaries.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Venomous
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.15)

Sources

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

Last updated