Gillbacker sea catfish
📖 Overview
Mainly found in turbid waters over muddy bottoms in coastal areas, estuaries and lower parts of rivers. Sexually mature after around two years of age. Upon hatching, the alevins are relatively large, approximately 6.0-6.5 cm . Marketed fresh and salted . Fish exported to Canada, USA, England, and Holland (Rayman Bedessee, pers. comm.).
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 18 - 20; Vertebrae: 49 - 51. This species is distinguished by the following characters: in life, yellowish body; swim bladder divided into 3 chambers; shield-shaped nuchal plate, usually larger than the supraoccipital process; head shield exposed and granulated in orbital and postorbital regions; first 2 gill with no mesial gill rakers. Sciades parkeri can further be distinguished from sympatric congeners by the following: fleshy furrow connecting posterior nares absent (vs. present in S. couma, S. herzbergii and S. passany); moderately sized posterior chamber of swim bladder (vs. small in S. proops; absent in S. couma, S. herzbergii, S. passany); nuchal plate with no anterior notch (vs. anterior notched in S. proops, sometimes notched in S. herzbergii); palatal patches forming a U-shaped band (vs. transverse in S. passany, lateral edge on accessory patches not emarginated or shallowly notched; lateral edge with an angled and pronounced notch in S. proops) .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Gillbacker sea catfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
Distinct pairing. May employ mouth booding as parenting strategy .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 15 - 20 m . Tropical; 9°N - 7°S, 60°W - 34°W
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- pain
- oedema
- rare systemic effects
Wound care, analgesia.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arius bonneti | Puyo | 1936 | Heterotypic |
| Arius clavispinosus | Puyo | 1936 | Synonym |
| Arius despaxi | Puyo | 1936 | Synonym |
| Arius parkeri | Traill | 1832 | Synonym |
| Arius physacanthus | Vaillant | 1899 | Synonym |
| Aspistor parkeri | Traill | 1832 | Synonym |
| Bagrus emphysetus | Müller & Troschel | 1849 | Synonym |
| Bagrus flavescens | Valenciennes | 1840 | Synonym |
| Galeichthys despaxi | Puyo | 1936 | Synonym |
| Galeichthys parkeri | Traill | 1832 | Synonym |
| Hexanematichthys parkeri | Traill | 1832 | Synonym |
| Sciadeichthys emphysetus | Müller & Troschel | 1849 | Synonym |
| Sciadeichthys flavescens | Valenciennes | 1840 | Synonym |
| Sciades emphysetus | Müller & Troschel | 1849 | Synonym |
| Silurus parkeri | Traill | 1832 | Synonym |
| Tachisurus flavescens | Valenciennes | 1840 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 79 records indexed .
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