Scientific Name
Neosilurus mollespiculum

Common Name
Soft-spined catfish

Biology
Inhabits rocky pools in main river channels and larger creeks. Omnivorous (Ref. 44894). Stomach contents of fish less than 10 cm SL were mainly insects and their larvae, primarily chironomid larvae, ephemeropterans, and trichopterans; small amounts of odonates, unidentified dipterans, ostracods, and filamentous algae. Fish larger than 10 cm mainly ingested trichopterans, ostracods, and chironomids with some amounts of dipterans, odonates, aquatic coleopterans, corixids, Macrobrachium, bivalves, filamentous algae, and detritus (Ref. 27663). Collection of specimens with ripe and recently spent gonads in November suggests that breeding occurs at the commencement of the wet season (Ref. 44894).

Classification

Classified By

Allen & Feinberg, 1998

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Eeltail catfishes (Plotosidae)

Distribution

Region

Oceania

Distribution

Oceania: Burdekin River system, northeastern Queensland, Australia.

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; demersal

Trophic Level

3.06 s.e. 0.40 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

44.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5005 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Unknown

Vulnerability

Moderate to high vulnerability (47 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated