Spiny catfish
📖 Overview
Abundant in calm waters of swamps and mangroves . Omnivorous, feeds mainly on organic wastes. Searches for food by digging in the sediment. Active at night, lies hidden in the underwater roots and stocks during the day. Every basic unit of the sound they emit when they move their pectoral spine lasts 100-200 milliseconds with a frequency of 170-250 Hertz . Maximum length reported to reach 20 cm TL .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5; Anal soft rays: 10 - 11. The body is a little elongated, without scales, with one lateral range of bony plaque. The head is large and flattened. Mouth terminal, and has three pairs of barbels. Eyes are small .
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Spiny catfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Spiny catfish is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Reproduction data for Spiny catfish is currently being compiled.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 6.0 - 7.5; dH range: 4 - 25. Tropical; 22°C - 26°C ; 7°N - 2°S South America: Amazon River basin and coastal drainages of French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname.
🌿 Ecology
organic wastes
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Chocolate Raphael, Spiny catfish · Chocolate Talking Catfish · Spiny Catfish · Talking Catfish |
| 🌍CES | trnovec pancířnatý |
| 🇫🇷French | Kronkron Dilé · Silure cataphracte |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Bacu · Daqueiro · Leiteira · Vacu |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Bagre hueso |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callichthys asper | Gronow | 1854 | Heterotypic |
| Cataphractus americanus | Lacepède | 1903 | Heterotypic |
| Doras blochii | Valenciennes | 1840 | Synonym |
| Doras castaneoventris | Jardine | 1841 | Heterotypic |
| Silurus cataphractus | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 21 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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