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Borneo sea catfish (Cephalocassis borneensis) — Ariidae

Borneo sea catfish

Cephalocassis borneensis
Family: Ariidae

The Borneo sea catfish (Cephalocassis borneensis) is a brackish-water fish of the family Ariidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous

Description

The Borneo sea catfish is a sea catfish (Ariidae) from turbid coastal and estuarine water of Borneo and Sundaland in Southeast Asia. The species grows to about 35 cm and has a sturdy, greyish, scaleless body with three pairs of barbels and an adipose fin. As a bottom-dweller it searches over sand and mud for worms, crustaceans, molluscs and small fish; the male broods the large eggs in his mouth. The dorsal and pectoral spines are venomous and can give a painful puncture wound.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Borneo sea catfish?

The Borneo sea catfish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Borneo sea catfish live?

The Borneo sea catfish lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Borneo sea catfish get?

The Borneo sea catfish grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Borneo sea catfish dangerous to humans?

The Borneo sea catfish is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Borneose zeemeerval sourced
English name
Borneo sea catfish sourced
Scientific name
Cephalocassis borneensis
Family
Ariidae
Other names
Catfish sourced

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Venomous / poisonous verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Cephalocassis

More from the family Ariidae

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