|
|
|
CATFISH
ARIIDAE FAMILY
The Ariidae, Shark Catfish, or Sea Catfish family includes a single genus,
Arius,
and is found in brackish and salt water throughout the world. Estimates exceeding 120 species have been made.
Shark Catfish, Colombian Shark Catfish
[
Pictures
]
Arius seemani
SYN
:
Arius jordani, Hexanematichthys seemani, Tachisurus seemani
PD
: The body is elongated and silver in color and the belly is white. The fins are black and white-tipped. The head is broad, with a large mouth. The eyes are large and protrude from the head. The Shark Catfish possesses three pairs of barbels; one on the upper jaw and two on the lower. The color contrasts fade with age.
SIZE
: To 24" (60 cm) in nature, although rarely larger than 15" (38 cm) in captivity.
SS
: Other
Arius
species
H
: North, Central, and South America; estuaries of tidal rivers and lagoons from Southern California to Peru on the Pacific Coast
A
: bottom, middle
TANK
: A 40" (102 cm) or 45-55 gallons (170-209 L) is sufficient for young individuals. Adults need a tank of at least 64" (163 cm) or 100-125 gallons (378-472 L). The tank should be well lighted, maybein a position to receive morning sun. A strong filter is necessary for a powerful current and a good turn-overrate. Provide many caves and hiding places.
WATER
: pH 6.8-8 (7.6), 8-30 dH (16), 72-81°F (22-27°C). A 2% addition of salt is necessary. This can be accomplished by adding 15 TSP. of salt/ 10 gallons (20 g of salt/10 L).
SB
: Combine only with larger, sturdy fish who live in brackish water. These fish are capable of swallowing fish up to 67% of their length. Keep in groups of four or more individuals.
SB
: Adults can be combined with marine species; young can be combined with
Anableps, Monodactylus, Scatophagus
,
Tetraodon
, and
Toxotes
species.
FOOD
: Live; fish, crustaceans, insect larvae; tablets. This species prefers food in chunks. Has huge appetite and may attack other tank mates if not fed sufficiently.
SC
: Females plumper when over 12" (30 cm).
B
: Unsuccessful in captivity because of the area needed. Spawning has been observed in nature. It takes places in freshwater and brackish estuaries. Up to 100 marble-sized eggs are mouth-brooded by the male.
BP
: 10. Breeding has not been accomplished in aquaria.
R
: A very active fish. Can only be kept in fresh or brackish water while juveniles. With age more salt must be added to the water. Adults require sea water or brackish water. Some populations of this fish migrate south from California during the colder parts of the year. By rotating its pectoral fin in its socket, adult fish can make a loud, croaking sound. This sound is amplified by the swim bladder.
DC
: 4 (while young). Young fish are extremely hardy, but aggressive and require live foods. 7(adult). Adults need to be kept in salt water, and are highly aggressive towards smaller fish.
Species Index
|
Fish Home
|
Rainforests
|
|
|
|
Recent news
Atlantic sturgeon gains protection under the Endangered Species Act
(02/01/2012)
The U.S. federal government has listed the massive and bizarre Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) under the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Historically overfishing decimated the Atlantic sturgeon, while on-going threats include pollution and infrastructure, like dams and bridges that destroy habitat. Fishing for the Atlantic sturgeon has been banned since 1998, they are still caught as bycatch.
Photos: 46 new species found in little-explored Amazonian nation
(01/25/2012)
South America's tiniest independent nation still hides a number of big surprises: a three week survey to the sourthern rainforests of Suriname found 46 potentially new species and recorded nearly 1,300 species in all. Undertaken by Conservation International's (CI) Rapid Assessment Program (RAP) the survey found new species of freshwater fish, insects, and a new frog dubbed the "cowboy frog" for the spur on its heel. While Suriname may be small, much of its forest, in the Guyana Shield region of the Amazon, remains intact and pristine. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 91 percent of Suriname is covered in primary forests, however this data has not been updated in over two decades.
Featured video: tuna industry bycatch includes sea turtles, dolphins, whales
(01/16/2012)
A Greenpeace video, using footage from a whistleblower, shows disturbing images of the tuna industry operating in the unregulated waters of the Pacific Ocean. Using fish aggregation devices (FADs) and purse seine nets, the industry is not only able to catch entire schools of tuna, including juvenile, but also whatever else is in the area of the net.
Bycatch-reducing fish trap wins $20,000
(01/11/2012)
An innovative fish trap that allows small non-target fish to escape won a new content by RARE Conservation and National Geographic to fund solutions to overfishing. Developed through studies in Curaçao and Kenya with the Wildlife Conservation Society, the trap has gaps for juvenile fish to swim out of reportedly reducing bycatch by 80 percent. The entry won a $20,000 grant.
World's most expensive tuna
(01/05/2012)
A 593 pound Pacific bluefin tuna sold for $735,000 (56.49 million yen) in Tokyo's Tsukiji market today. This beats the previous record price hit last year by over $260,000. Why so expensive? Bluefin tuna, considered the best sashimi and sushi in the world, have been fished to near extinction with the population of the Pacific bluefin the most stable to date.
Top 10 Environmental Stories of 2011
(12/22/2011)
Many of 2011's most dramatic stories on environmental issues came from people taking to the streets. With governments and corporations slow to tackle massive environmental problems, people have begun to assert themselves. Victories were seen on four continents: in Bolivia a draconian response to protestors embarrassed the government, causing them to drop plans to build a road through Tipnis, an indigenous Amazonian reserve; in Myanmar, a nation not known for bowing to public demands, large protests pushed the government to cancel a massive Chinese hydroelectric project; in Borneo a three-year struggle to stop the construction of a coal plant on the coast of the Coral Triangle ended in victory for activists; in Britain plans to privatize forests created such a public outcry that the government not only pulled back but also apologized; and in the U.S. civil disobedience and massive marches pressured the Obama Administration to delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring tar sands from Canada to a global market.
|
|
