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Bronze catfish (Plicofollis nella) — Ariidae

Bronze catfish

Plicofollis nella
Family: Ariidae

The Bronze catfish (Plicofollis nella) is a brackish-water fish of the family Ariidae that grows up to 47 cm.

Length
47 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous

Description

The Bronze catfish is a sea catfish (Ariidae) from turbid coastal and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 30 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 Bronze catfish?

The Bronze catfish has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Bronze catfish live?

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

How big does the Bronze catfish get?

The Bronze catfish grows to a maximum of about 47 cm.

Is the Bronze catfish dangerous to humans?

The Bronze 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
Nella-zeemeerval sourced
English name
Bronze catfish sourced
Scientific name
Plicofollis nella
Family
Ariidae
Other names
Shieldhead catfish; Smooth-headed catfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
47.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped 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 Plicofollis

More from the family Ariidae

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