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

💧 Freshwater Data Deficient ⚠️ Venomous ⚡ Traumatogenic 🌡️ Tropical

Usumacinta sea catfish

Potamarius usumacintae R. & Willink, 2007
Max Length
59.5 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.7
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
51.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Adults occur only in freshwater, preferring the main channel of medium to large rivers . Migratory behaviour is undetermined .

Scientific Name
Potamarius usumacintae
Authority
R. & Willink, 2007
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Tropical
IUCN Status
DD
Max Length
59.5 cm
Trophic Level
3.7
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
51.00/100
Salinity
0–0.5 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 19 - 23. Distinguished from other freshwater ariids occurring in Mesoamerica by the following combination of characters: presence of accessory tooth patches on palate; premaxillary tooth band length 2.4-2.9 in its width; ; snout length 1.4-1.8 in postorbital length; lateral gill rakers on first gill arch 17-20 (mode 19); mesial gill rakers on first two gill arches well developed; accessory palatal patches with numerous pointed-conical teeth; premaxillary maxillary barbel not extending behind gill membrane; and dorsomedian fleshy groove on head absent .

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Usumacinta sea catfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Usumacinta sea catfish is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Reproduction data for Usumacinta sea catfish is currently being compiled.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical Central America: endemic to the Río Usumacinta basin in Guatemala and Mexico.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater ⬇️ Benthic
Trophic Level
3.7±0.4

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00468 × L3.13 (TL)
Max TL
59.5cm
Dorsal Spines
1
Dorsal Rays
7
Anal Rays
21

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
0–0.5ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Data Deficient
Assessment Date
2018

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
51.00/100
Moderate-High vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.7
Predator
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
R. & Willink, 2007

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Usumacinta 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.