New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

🌊 Marine Least Concern 🍽️ Edible ⚠️ Venomous ⚡ Traumatogenic 🌡️ Tropical

Flatmouth sea catfish

Plicofollis platystomus Day, 1877
Max Length
31 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.5
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
27.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Occurs in coastal waters and estuaries. Feeds mainly on invertebrates. Caught mainly with bottom trawls, stake traps, shore seines, set bagnets and on hook and line. An important food fish .

Scientific Name
Plicofollis platystomus
Authority
Day, 1877
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
31 cm
Trophic Level
3.5
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
27.00/100
Migration
Amphidromous
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Teleostei
Order
Siluriformes
Siluriformes
Family
Ariidae
Ariidae
Genus
Plicofollis
Plicofollis
Species
Flatmouth sea catfish
Plicofollis platystomus

🐟 Physical Description

Physical description for Flatmouth sea catfish is currently being compiled.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Flatmouth sea catfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Flatmouth sea catfish is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Flatmouth sea catfish is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; demersal; amphidromous . Tropical Indian Ocean: India and Sri Lanka.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish ⬇️ Benthic
Migration
Amphidromous
Trophic Level
3.5±0.37
Food Items

invertebrates

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00794 × L3.08 (TL)
Max TL
31cm

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2009

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
27.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.5
Predator
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Day, 1877

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Flatmouth sea catfish is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

Nutrition

Detailed nutritional data for Flatmouth sea catfish is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Flatmouth sea catfish has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Arius platystomus Day 1877 Synonym
Tachysurus platystomus Day 1877 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Flatmouth sea catfish ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.