Smoothmouth sea catfish

Carlarius heudelotii

Venomous spines flank a mouthful of eggs

Smoothmouth sea catfish is known from Eastern Atlantic as a freshwater fish. It occurs in estuaries and brackish water.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Catfishes
Family: Ariidae
Genus: Carlarius
Maximum length: 83 cm
Body shape: fusiform
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: common in coastal marine waters from Cap Blanc (Mauritania) to Gabon; occasionally enters estuaries and brackish waters (Ref. 57224 ). Reported from the middle Benue (Niger basin) in Nigeria (Ref. 3064 , 57224 ). Reported as possibly as far south as Angola (Ref. 3876 ) but this is unconfirmed (Ref. 57224 ).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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