| Spotted sea catfish | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Ariidae |
| Genus: | Arius |
| Species: | A. maculatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Arius maculatus (Thunberg, 1792) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
The spotted sea catfish (Arius maculatus), also known as the spotted catfish, the sea barbel or the marine catfish, [2] is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. [3] It was described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1792, originally under the genus Silurus . [4] It inhabits tropical marine, brackish and freshwater in the Indo-western Pacific region, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. It dwells at a depth range of 50 to 100 m (160 to 330 ft). It reaches a maximum total length of 80 cm (31 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 30 cm (12 in). [3]
The diet of the spotted sea catfish includes detritus, polychaete worms, mollusks, various crustaceans, and milkfish larvae. [5] It has been recorded spawning between the months of January–April on the coast of Mumbai, India, and in the months of September–October on the coast of Karnataka. [6] The eggs are incubated in the mouths of the males, which are known to consume a minute quantity of the eggs to combat starvation during the period of incubation. [3]
The spotted sea catfish is of commercial interest to fisheries. It is primarily marketed fresh, and the air bladders are used in the wine industry as isinglass. [3]
