| Family: |
Ariidae (Sea catfishes), subfamily: Ariinae |
| Max. size: |
54 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 20 m |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Pacific: Mexico,(from the mouth of Colorado River, Sonora) to Costa Rica. |
| Diagnosis: |
This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: mesethmoid median portion wide, medial notch of mesethmoid large and shallow mouth wide 13.0-15.2% SL; cephalic shield at frontal area wide, 10.0-11.5% SL; cephalic shield at lateral ethmoid area wide 14.3-15.3% SL; distance between anterior nostrils wide 7.1-8.6% SL; distance between posterior nostrils wide 7.2-8.7% SL; osseous medial groove absent; fleshy medial groove of neurocranium conspicuous or inconspicuous, but never surpassing posterior margin of eyes; lateral margin of sphenotic straight, as wide medially as anteriorly; pterotic lateral margin markedly convex, sometimes angled; pectoral spine long 18.2-20.5% SL; external posterior branch of lateral ethmoid columnar and thin; fenestra delimited by mesethmoid and lateral ethmoid conspicuous (Ref. 116660). |
| Biology: |
Abundant in marine and brackish waters (Ref. 9271). Also enters freshwater (Ref. 36880). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 22 May 2007 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
traumatogenic |
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