Ariidae
Ariidae Temporal range:
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Bagre marinus
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Siluriformes |
Superfamily: | Arioidea |
Family: | Ariidae L. S. Berg, 1958 |
Subfamilies | |
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The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a
Fossilized pectoral spines and skull bone fragments of ariid catfish are known from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian and Maastrichtian) of Argentina, which are among the oldest known remains of siluroid catfish.[1]
Taxonomy
The relationships of this family are not yet clear.
Previously, the family Ariidae has been grouped in the superfamily Doradoidea, but then it was moved into Bagroidea (along with
Distribution and habitat
Ariids are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones.
Many other species of catfish are also present in freshwater habitats; some species only occur in freshwater. In North and South America, about 43 species extend into brackish water or are found exclusively in fresh water.
Appearance and anatomy
Ariid catfish have a deeply forked caudal fin. Usually, three pairs of barbels are present. They possess some bony plates on their heads and near their dorsal fins.[6] Some species have venomous spines in their dorsal and pectoral fins.[8]
Skull
The gafftopsail catfish is sometimes called the "crucifix catfish" because its dried skull bones resembles a cruciform man. This is an example of pareidolia.[9]
Ecology
Beyond their maritime habitat, ariid catfish have a number of unique adaptations that set them apart from other catfish. Most, if not all species, are mouthbrooding fish, with the male carrying a small clutch of a few dozen, tiny eggs for about two months until the eggs hatch and the fry become free-swimming.[10][11]
Relationship to humans
One well-known ariid catfish is the hardhead catfish, Ariopsis felis, abundant along the Western Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Mexico. Although hardhead catfish reach a weight of about 5.5 kg (12 lb) and are edible, they have a mixed reputation as game fish and are often considered nuisance bait stealers.[12]
A less-abundant species, more highly regarded as a game and food fish, is the gafftopsail catfish, Bagre marinus. The range of the gafftop extends further south, to Venezuela.
The smaller ariid catfishes have minor value as public and home
See also
References
- .
- ^ "A New Genus of the Fish Family Ariidae (Siluriformes), with A Redescription of Chinchaysuyoa labiata from Ecuador and A New Species Description from Peru". Novataxa. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
- ^ Ng, Heok Hee; Sparks, John S. (2005). "Revision of the endemic Malagasy catfish family Anchariidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes), with descriptions of a new genus and three new species". Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters (PDF). 16 (4): 303–323.
- ^ "Ariidae Bleeker, 1858". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ Acero P., Arturo; Betancur-R., Ricardo (June 2007). "Monophyly, affinities, and subfamilial clades of sea catfishes (Siluriformes: Ariidae)" (PDF). Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters. 18 (2): 133–143. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
- ^ ISBN 0-471-25031-7.
- PMID 16876440.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2007). "Bagre marinus" in FishBase. May 2007 version.
- ^ The Crucifix Catfish by Allan James
- ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Ariidae" in FishBase. May 2007 version.
- ^ Ariopsis felis
- ^ "Hardhead Catfish". Archived from the original on 2006-07-21. Retrieved 2006-07-06.
- ^ Hexanematichthys seemanni
- ^ The catfish family Ariidae