Warrior catfish

📖 Overview

Warrior catfish (Hemiarius dioctes), first described by Kailola, 2000 is a very large fish in the family Ariidae (order Siluriformes). Adults typically reach 120.00 cm in maximum length and up to 19.000 kg. It is diadromous, migrating between freshwater and marine environments during its life cycle. It occurs in Tropical waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator. The species is venomous and potentially dangerous to handle.

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 21; Vertebrae: 49 - 50. Teeth strong, non-depressible; in narrow bands in jaws and in four patches arranged across front palate. Snout prominent, jaw teeth exposed; mouth wide. Head somewhat venulosus, head shield almost smooth. Eye small, free of head skin, 6-14% HL. No rakers on posterior face of first two arches; gill opening wide. Body orange-yellow; lips, inside mouth and body usually covered with orange or yellow mucus, and teeth usually reddish .

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Warrior catfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

🥚 Reproduction

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal. Tropical

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

⚠️ Venom Profile

References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1 records indexed .

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