Red sea catfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red sea catfish |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The red sea catfish (Bagre pinnimaculatus), also known as the long-barbeled sea catfish, is a type of sea catfish. It belongs to the Ariidae family of fish. This fish was first described by a scientist named Franz Steindachner in 1876.
Contents
About the Red Sea Catfish
This interesting fish lives in warm ocean waters, salty river mouths (called brackish water), and even some freshwaters. You can find it in the eastern and southeastern Pacific Ocean. Its home range includes countries like Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, and Peru.
The red sea catfish can be found as deep as 20 meters (about 65 feet) underwater. It can grow up to 95 centimeters (about 3 feet) long. However, most of these fish are usually around 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) in length.
What Red Sea Catfish Eat
When they are young, red sea catfish have a unique diet. They mostly eat the scales of other bony fish.
Importance to People
The red sea catfish is important for fishing. People have been eating this fish for a very long time, even before Columbus came to America. You can find it sold fresh, dried, smoked, or salted. Sometimes, it is sold under different names, like other fish from the Sciaenidae family. This happens because those other fish might be more expensive.
Conservation Status
Scientists at the IUCN Redlist have looked at the red sea catfish. They say it is a species of "least concern." This means the fish is not currently in danger. There are many of them, and they live in a wide area across the eastern Pacific. There are no big threats known to their population. Also, some of these fish live in special ocean areas where they are protected.
