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Sciades dowii (Gill, 1863) Flapnose sea catfish |
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photo by
Allen, G.R. |
| Family: | Ariidae (Sea catfishes), subfamily: Ariinae | |||
| Max. size: | 90 cm TL (male/unsexed) | |||
| Environment: | demersal; freshwater; brackish | |||
| Distribution: | Central and South America: fresh and brackish water along Pacific side from Panama to Ecuador. | |||
| Diagnosis: | Body elongate, not very robust; nostrils connected through the snout by a narrow flap of skin; eyes small (8 to 12 times in head length); cephalic plate entirely covered with thick granules, its edges striate; lower branch of the first gill arch with 17 gill rakers; adipose fin located over the end of the anal fin, its length two to three times that of the dorsal fin. Body blue-brown or blue-gray; belly white; fins dark with numerous brown spots; maxillary barbels dark gray (Ref. 55763). | |||
| Biology: | Found in estuaries and rivers (Ref. 9271). Feeds on small fishes and benthic invertebrates (Ref. 11482). Marketed fresh and dried-salted (Ref. 9271). | |||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 23 May 2007 Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | traumatogenic | |||