Cathorops melanopus
Dark Sea Catfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Siluriformes (Catfishes)
Ariidae (Sea Catfishes)
Cathorops
Cathorops melanopus (Dark Sea Catfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Distinguished from all other species of Cathorops by the possession of the following features: gill rakers on first arch 16-18; anal fin with 19-20 rays; snout length 5.3-5.5% SL; and posterior margin of pectoral-fin spine with prominent serrations, except in Cathorops aguadulce, Cathorops kailolae, Cathorops multiradiatus, and Cathorops tuyra. Can be further differentiated from other congeners by the following combination of characters: distance from tip of snout to dorsal-fin origin 30.0-32.6% SL; distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of dorsomedian groove of neurocranium 17.9-19.1% SL; absence of fleshy papillae intercalated with gill rakers on first two arches; head length 22.3-23.0% SL; distance between lateral cornu of lateral ethmoid and external limb of supracleithrum 19.3-19.6% SL; distance between the anterior nostrils 3.6-4.4% SL; distance between posterior nostrils 4.4-5.1% SL; orbital diameter 4.5-5.0% SL; interorbital distance 11.1-12.1% SL; mouth width 8.9-9.7% SL; premaxilla width 5.1-5.8% SL; intense black pigmentation on pelvic fin; distance from tip of snout to pelvic-fin origin 46.2-49.1% SL; dorsal-fin spine length 17.2-18.1% SL; caudal-peduncle height 8.7-9.0% SL; width of cephalic shield at supracleithrum area 16.7-16.9% SL; and body width 19.6-20.1% SL (Ref. 75004).
Distribution
Central America: Rio Motagua, Guatemala; probably in the Honduran portion of the rio Motagua near itsmouth. Reports from Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama by previous authors are erroneous.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. benthopelagic. Found in: estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds.
Biology
Max length: 23.0 cm TL.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2020-02-06. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Marceniuk, A.P. and C.J. Ferraris Jr. (2003) Ariidae (Sea catfishes). p. 447-455. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the freshwater fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
Yáñes-Arancibia, A., A.L. Lara-Domínguez and J.W. Day Jr. (1993) Interactions between mangrove and seagrass habitats mediated by estuarine nekton assemblages: coupling of primary and secondary production. Hydrobiologia 264:1-12.
Marceniuk, A.P. and N.A. Menezes (2007) Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera. Zootaxa 1416:1-126.
Marceniuk, A.P. and R. Betancur-R (2008) Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species. Neotrop. Ichthyol. 6(1):25-44.
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