Highfin catfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Highfin catfish |
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The highfin catfish, also known as Berney's catfish or Berney's shark catfish, is a cool freshwater fish. Its scientific name is Neoarius berneyi. People sometimes keep these fish in aquariums.
The name Neoarius comes from Greek words meaning "new" and "warlike." This refers to its strong fin spines. The "berneyi" part honors a bird expert named F. L. Berney.
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Where Highfin Catfish Live
The highfin catfish lives near the South Pacific coast. You can find it in Northern Australia and New Guinea.
It also lives in rivers and streams along the Gulf of Carpentaria. This area stretches as far west as the Mary River system. The first official example of this fish was found in the Flinders River in Queensland, Australia.
What Highfin Catfish Look Like
The highfin catfish looks a bit like another fish called Neoarius graeffei. But the highfin catfish has smaller eyes. It also has a taller fin on its back.
Its mouth has special tooth patches. These patches are roughly the same size. The fish is usually a shiny bronze or dark gray color. Its belly is lighter.
Highfin catfish are usually about 380 millimeters (15 inches) long. They weigh around 500 grams (18 ounces). However, some "shark cats" from the same group can grow much bigger. They can reach up to 914 millimeters (36 inches) long!
Highfin Catfish Habitat and Food
Highfin catfish live in streams and rivers near the coast. They seem to prefer slow-moving water. You can often find them in cloudy or muddy water.
These fish eat many different things. They munch on small crustaceans that live on the bottom. They also eat insect larvae and water plants. Sometimes, they even eat mice! They also eat detritus, which is decaying plant and animal matter from the bottom.
Is the Highfin Catfish Endangered?
The Australian government says that the highfin catfish is "non-threatened". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). "Neoarius berneyi" in FishBase. December 2011 version.
See also
In Spanish: Neoarius berneyi para niños
