Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Ariidae (Sea catfishes) > Ariinae
Etymology: Cathorops: Greek, kathorao = to observe, to watch + Greek, ops = appearance (Ref. 45335); belizensis: Named for the type locality, Belize City.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Brackish; demersal. Tropical
Western Central Atlantic: mangrove channels in Belize City, Belize.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 75004)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal soft rays: 18 - 21. Differs from all congeners by possessing 19-20 gill rakers on first arch; 18-21 anal-fin rays; posterior margin of pectoral-fin spine with short and inconspicuous serrations; orbital diameter 3.6-4.4% SL; interorbital distance 12.9-15.1% SL; and dorsal fin spine length 29.4-33.3% of distance from tip of snout to pelvic-fin origin. Additional diagnostic characters include snout length 6.9-8.9% SL; supraoccipital process (8.8-10.5% SL); lacking fleshy papillae intercalated with gill rakers on first two arches; remarkably granulated cephalic shield; dorsal-fin spine 15.9-17.6% SL, dorsal-fin spine as long as pectoral-fin spine; nuchal plate 5.6-6.4% SL; distance between anterior nostrils 5.1-6.1% SL; distance between posterior nostrils 5.9-7.6%SL; mouth width 10.0-13.2%SL; premaxilla width 6.3-11.9% SL; lower lobe of caudal-fin 25.5-28.2%SL; pelvic fin pale; head length 25.8-31.9%SL; snout length 6.9-8.9%SL; and distance between lateral cornu of lateral ethmoid and external limb of supracleithrum 22.2-26.4%SL (Ref. 75004).
Inhabits mangrove areas (Ref. 75004).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Marceniuk, A.P. and R. Betancur-R, 2008. Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 6(1):25-44. (Ref. 75004)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic (Ref. 58010)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00244 - 0.04107), b=3.04 (2.81 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.3 ±0.8 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (20 of 100).