The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family of catfish that mainly live in marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones. The family includes about 143 species.
Bagarius is an Asian genus of catfishes of the family Sisoridae. It includes five to six extant species and potentially one extinct fossil species, B. gigas.
Plotosus is a genus of eeltail catfishes native to the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean and New Guinea.
Cinetodus is a genus of sea catfishes of the family Ariidae. These species originate from brackish and fresh waters of Irian Jaya, southern New Guinea and northern Australia.
Galeichthys is a genus of sea catfishes in the family Ariidae, the only genus in the subfamily Galeichthyinae. It includes four predominantly marine species distributed in Southern Africa and northwestern South America:
Amissidens hainesi, the ridged catfish, is the only species of catfish in the genus Amissidens of the family Ariidae. This species occurs in marine and brackish waters on the southern coast of New Guinea and Northern Australia, between Darwin and southern Gulf of Carpentaria.
Amphiarius is a genus of sea catfishes of the family Ariidae. It includes two species, the Kukwari sea catfish, A. phrygiatus, and the softhead sea catfish, A. rugispinis.
Arius is a genus of catfishes of the family Ariidae. The genus Arius is distributed in brackish and fresh waters of Eastern Africa and south to Southeast Asia.
Batrachocephalus mino, the beardless sea catfish, is the only species of catfish in the genus Batrachocephalus of the family Ariidae. This species occurs in marine and brackish waters of Bay of Bengal, and parts of the western central Pacific, in coastal waters, estuaries, and lower reaches of rivers. It is distributed from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, to Indonesia.
Ceratoglanis is a genus of sheatfishes native to Asia.
Belodontichthys is a genus of sheatfishes native to Asia.
Ketengus typus, the bigmouth sea-catfish, is the only species in the sea catfish genus Ketengus.
Amphiarius phrygiatus, the Kukwari sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish which occurs in brackish estuaries with very low salinities, nearly entering freshwater, and is found on shallow muddy bottoms, ranging through Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. It grows to about 30 centimetres (12 in) TL. As with other Arriid catfishes this species is a mouthbrooder. The female A. phrygiatus lays her eggs in a gelatinous mass on a sandy depression for the male to collect to mouthbrood. This species is caught for human consumption.
Amphiarius rugispinis, the softhead sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish which is found along the northern coast of South America. It is found chiefly in turbid waters of estuaries and around river mouths; it originates from brackish and marine waters of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. This species grows to about 45 cm (18 in) TL. Reproduction in A. rugispinis appears to be between September and November. The diameter of the eggs is 14–15 millimetres, numbering about 30–35 per female.
Cryptarius daugueti is a species of sea catfish from the Mekong River basin which inhabits large rivers. It is found in brackish and fresh waters of Cambodia and Vietnam. This species has a maximum length of 26 centimetres (10 in) TL.
Cryptarius truncatus, the spoonsnouted catfish, is a species of sea catfish from estuaries and lower courses of rivers from the Chao Phraya to Sumatra and Java, including the lower Mekong. It inhabits brackish waters of Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. This species has a maximum length of 42 cm (17 in) in length. This fish species feeds on fishes and crustaceans. It is caught for human consumption.
Arius manillensis is a species of marine catfish endemic to the island of Luzon, Philippines. It is commonly known as the sea catfish, Manila sea catfish or kanduli. It is fished commercially.
The coco sea catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1776, originally under the genus Silurus. It inhabits tropical marine and brackish waters ranging between Colombia and the Amazon River, in South America. It dwells at a maximum depth of 50 m (160 ft). It reaches a maximum total length of 55 cm (22 in), more commonly reaching 40 cm (16 in).
The Mapale sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It is a tropical fish which is known from Colombia to west Venezuela, where it typically inhabits freshwaters, brackish, in coastal lagoons and near-shore marine waters. It reaches a maximum standard length of 30.6 cm (12.0 in).
Nemapteryx caelata, the engraved catfish or engraved sea catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840, originally under the genus Arius. It inhabits marine and brackish waters in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It reaches a maximum total length of 45 cm (18 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 24 cm (9.4 in).
