The rice-paddy eel is an eel in the family Ophichthidae. It was described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822, originally in the genus Ophisurus. It is a tropical, marine eel which is known from the Indo-West Pacific, including Somalia, Tanzania, South Africa, southern India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Polynesia, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Madagascar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mozambique, Seychelles, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and southern Yemen. It is an anadromous species and spawns in freshwater, often in rice paddies during the rainy season, earning it its common name. It also spends time in lagoons, estuaries and coastal rivers, in which it lives in burrows in the river bottom and bank. Males can reach a maximum total length (TL) of 100 centimetres, but more commonly reach a TL of 70 cm.
The blue sea catfish, also known as the widehead sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864, originally under the genus Arius. It is found in tropical marine, brackish and freshwater along the Pacific coast in Central America, ranging from Mexico to Panama as well as Nicaragua. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 20 m. It reaches a maximum total length of 37 cm (15 in).
The Gagora catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton in 1822, originally under the genus Pimelodus. It is a migratory species found in the tropical marine, brackish and freshwater of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India. It reaches a maximum standard length of 91.4 cm (36.0 in).
The giant sea catfish, also called the ewe or the marine catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by George Albert Boulenger in 1911, originally under the genus Tachysurus. It is known from brackish and freshwater in the Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Benin, Mali, Ghana and Nigeria. It reaches a maximum total length of 165 cm (65 in), and a maximum weight of 50 kg (110 lb). Males incubate eggs in their mouths.
The Rough-head sea catfish, also known as the marine catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864. It inhabits tropical marine and brackish waters in the eastern Atlantic region, including Angola, Senegal, and Bioko. It dwells at a depth range of 0 to 70 m, most often between 0 to 30 m. It reaches a maximum total length of 85 cm (33 in), but more commonly reaches a TL of 40 cm (16 in).
The spotted sea catfish, also known as the spotted catfish, the sea barbel or the marine catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Carl Peter Thunberg in 1792, originally under the genus Silurus. 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. It reaches a maximum total length of 80 cm (31 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 30 cm (12 in).
The goat catfish, also called the marine catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. Although the author of the species is uncertain, its description has been attributed to Edward Turner Bennett, in 1830. It was originally assigned to the genus Bagrus. It inhabits tropical marine and brackish waters in the Indo-western Pacific region, including eastern Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan and Indonesia. It reaches a maximum total length of 32 cm (13 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 12 cm (4.7 in).
The Bressou sea catfish, also called the marine catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840, originally under the genus Arius. It inhabits tropical marine, brackish and freshwater on the Atlantic coast of South America, ranging from Guyana to Brazil. It reaches a maximum total length of 50 cm (20 in), but more commonly reaches a TL of 30 cm (12 in).
The Chilhuil sea catfish, also called the Chihuil, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Theodore Gill in 1863, originally under the genus Aelurichthys. It inhabits subtropical marine and brackish waters in the eastern Pacific region, including California, USA; Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Mexico. It dwells at a depth range of 3 to 177 m, most often between 10 to 60 m. It reaches a maximum total length of 51 cm (20 in).
The red sea catfish, also called the long-barbeled sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Franz Steindachner in 1876, originally under the genus Aelurichthys. It inhabits tropical marine, brackish and freshwater in the eastern-central and southeastern Pacific regions, including Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, and Peru. It dwells at a maximum depth of 20 m (66 ft). It reaches a maximum total length of 95 cm (37 in), but more commonly reaches 30 cm (12 in).
The Guinean sea catfish, also known as the marine catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864, originally under the genus Arius. It is a tropical fish which is found in Mauritania, Angola, Morocco and the Spanish Sahara. It inhabits coastal marine waters at a depth range of 50 to 80 m, also frequently entering estuaries and freshwater rivers. It reaches a maximum total length of 70 cm (28 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 40 cm (16 in).
The Thomas 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 mud on the floors of brackish and marine waters between the Gulf of Venezuela and the Amazon River, at a depth range of 1 to 20 m. It reaches a maximum total length of 63 cm (25 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 40 cm (16 in).
The sculptured sea catfish is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Franz Steindachner in 1876, originally under the genus Arius. It inhabits brackish and marine waters in Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama. It reaches a maximum total length of 45 cm (18 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 40 cm (16 in).
The flathead sea catfish is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Franz Steindachner in 1876, originally under the genus Arius. It inhabits rivers, estuaries, and marine waters on the Pacific coast, from Mexico to Panama, at a maximum depth of 60 m (200 ft). It reaches a maximum total length of 60 cm (24 in). It is currently ranked by the IUCN redlist as being of Least Concern, due to a lack of known major threats for the species.
The Chili sea catfish is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Theodore Gill in 1863, originally under the genus Sciades. It inhabits marine and brackish waters in Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Panama. It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 30 m. It reaches a maximum total length of 70.6 cm (27.8 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 30 cm (12 in).
The blacktip sea catfish, also known as the Dussumier's catfish, the giant marine cat fish, the Shupanga sea catfish, or the tropical seacatfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840, originally under the genus Arius. It inhabits rivers and marine waters ranging between Africa and India in the Indo-western Pacific. It dwells at a depth range of 20 to 50 m. It reaches a maximum standard length of 62 cm (24 in), and a maximum weight of 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).
The flatmouth sea catfish, also known as the flat-mouthed catfish or the flatmouth catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Francis Day in 1877, originally under the genus Arius. It inhabits estuaries and coastal marine waters in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. It dwells at a maximum depth of 50 m (160 ft). It reaches a maximum total length of 31 cm (12 in).
The Couma sea catfish, also known as the Pemecou sea catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840, originally under the genus Bagrus. It inhabits estuaries and rivers in Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. It reaches a maximum total length of 97 cm (38 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 50 cm (20 in). It reaches a maximum weight of 30 kg (66 lb). Its maximum known life expectancy is 5 years.
The Pemecou sea catfish, also known as the flapnose sea catfish, the mud cuirass, or the gillbacker, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Marcus Elieser Bloch in 1794, originally under the genus Silurus. It inhabits marine, brackish and freshwaters in Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Colombia, Suriname, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. It dwells at a depth range of 1 to 5 m. It reaches a maximum total length of 94.2 cm (37.1 in), while males more commonly reach a TL of 30 cm (12 in) and females reach a TL of 62.5 cm (24.6 in). It reaches a maximum weight of 1.5 kg (3.3 lb).
The Passany sea catfish is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840, originally under the genus Bagrus. It occurs in estuaries and coastal marine waters in Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. It reaches a maximum total length of 100 cm (39 in), more commonly reaching a TL of 50 cm (20 in). It reaches a maximum weight of 15 kg (33 lb). Although not specifically fished for, it is eaten when caught. It may be a host for the parasite Amapacanthus Amazonicus.
