| Family: |
Ariidae (Sea catfishes), subfamily: Ariinae |
| Max. size: |
90 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater; brackish |
| Distribution: |
Central and South America: fresh and brackish water along Pacific side from Panama to Ecuador. |
| Diagnosis: |
Body elongate, not very robust; nostrils connected through the snout by a narrow flap of skin; eyes small (8 to 12 times in head length); cephalic plate entirely covered with thick granules, its edges striate; lower branch of the first gill arch with 17 gill rakers; adipose fin located over the end of the anal fin, its length two to three times that of the dorsal fin. Body blue-brown or blue-gray; belly white; fins dark with numerous brown spots; maxillary barbels dark gray (Ref. 55763). |
| Biology: |
Found in estuaries and rivers (Ref. 9271). Feeds on small fishes and benthic invertebrates (Ref. 11482). Marketed fresh and dried-salted (Ref. 9271). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 23 May 2007 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
traumatogenic |
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