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Kyataphisa caelata (Valenciennes, 1840) Engraved catfish |
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photo by
Osmany, H.B. |
| Family: | Ariidae (Sea catfishes), subfamily: Ariinae | |||
| Max. size: | 59 cm FL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 1,500.0 g | |||
| Environment: | demersal; brackish; marine, amphidromous | |||
| Distribution: | Indo-Pacific: east and west coast of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, the Indo-Australian archipelago but not in the Philippines or Australia. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-7; Anal soft rays: 16-30. Head profile concave at nape. Head shield strongly rugose and granulated; supra-occipital process short, about as long as broad, with median keel, hind end concave. Dorsal and pectoral fins with very strong, thick, and coarsely granulated spine; tip of dorsal spine produced into a long filament; adipose fin rather large. Body with metallic blue luster. Tip of dorsal fin blackish, its filament black; pectoral, pelvic and anal fins dusky; caudal fin paler; adipose fin either entirely black or bearing a large black blotch on upper half. | |||
| Biology: | Mostly marine. Enters brackish waters and tidal rivers (Ref. 4833). Regularly ascends into fresh water in the Mekong delta (Ref. 12693). Feeds mainly on invertebrates and small fishes (Ref. 12693). Marketed fresh, also dried-salted. An important food fish. | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | traumatogenic | |||