Scientific Name
Plicofollis platystomus

Common Name
Flatmouth sea catfish

Biology
Occurs in coastal waters and estuaries. Feeds mainly on invertebrates. Caught mainly with bottom trawls, stake traps, shore seines, set bagnets and on hook and line. An important food fish (Ref. 3290).

Classification

Classified By

Day, 1877

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Sea catfishes (Ariidae)

Distribution

Region

Indian Ocean

Distribution

Indian Ocean: India and Sri Lanka. Also reported from Pakistan (Ref. 2872), Myanmar (Ref. 5736) and Bangladesh (Ref. 58022).

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

Marine; brackish; demersal; amphidromous (Ref. 51243)

Trophic Level

3.5 s.e. 0.37 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

31.0 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5039 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial

Vulnerability

Low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100)

Resilience

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

Threat To Humans

Traumatogenic (Ref. 58010)

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)