Spotted sea catfish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Ariidae
Genus: Arius
Species:
A. maculatus
Binomial name
Arius maculatus
(Thunberg, 1792)
Synonyms[1]
  • Silurus maculatus Thunberg, 1792
  • Tachysurus maculatus (Thunberg, 1792)
  • Pimelodus thunberg Lacepède, 1803
  • Arius thunbergi (Lacepède, 1803)
  • Silurus thunbergi (Lacepède, 1803)
  • Bagrus gagorides Valenciennes, 1840
  • Arius gagorides (Valenciennes, 1840)
  • Hemipimelodus bicolor Fowler, 1935
  • Hemipimelodus atripinnis Fowler, 1937

The spotted sea catfish (Arius maculatus), also known as the spotted catfish, the sea barbel or the marine catfish,[2] is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae.[3] It was described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1792, originally under the genus Silurus.[4] It inhabits tropical marine, brackish and freshwater in the Indo-western Pacific region, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It dwells at a depth range of 50 to 100 m (160 to 330 ft). It reaches a maximum total length of 80 cm (31 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 30 cm (12 in).[3]

The diet of the spotted sea catfish includes detritus, polychaete worms, mollusks, various crustaceans, and milkfish larvae.[5] It has been recorded spawning between the months of January–April on the coast of Mumbai, India, and in the months of September–October on the coast of Karnataka.[6] The eggs are incubated in the mouths of the males, which are known to consume a minute quantity of the eggs to combat starvation during the period of incubation.[3]

The spotted sea catfish is of commercial interest to fisheries. It is primarily marketed fresh, and the air bladders are used in the wine industry as isinglass.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Synonyms of Arius maculatus at fishbase.org.
  2. ↑ Common names of Arius maculatus at fishbase.org.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Arius maculatus" in FishBase. April 2016 version.
  4. ↑ Thunberg, C. P., 1792 [ref. 17916] Tvånne Japanske fiskar. Kongliga Vetenskaps Akademiens nya Handlingar, Stockholm v. 13 (for 1792): 29-32, Pl. 1.
  5. ↑ Food items reported for Arius maculatus at fishbase.org.
  6. ↑ Spawning for Arius maculatus at fishbase.org.
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