The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

that mainly live in marine waters with many

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

and

brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuary ...

species. They are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones. The family includes about 143 species. Fossilized pectoral spines and skull bone fragments of ariid catfish are known from the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...

(

Campanian The Campanian is the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch on the geologic timescale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). In chronostratigraphy, it is the fifth of six stages in the Upper Cretaceous Series. Campa ...

and

Maastrichtian The Maastrichtian ( ) is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age (uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage) of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or Upper Cretaceous series (s ...

) of

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, which are among the oldest known remains of siluroid catfish.

Taxonomy

The relationships of this family are not yet clear. Two of the

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

, '' Gogo'' and '' Ancharius'', have been moved to a separate family called Anchariidae. The Ariidae are divided into three subfamilies: '' Galeichthys'' is the only genus classified in the subfamily Galeichthyinae and similarly '' Bagre'' is the only genus in the subfamily Bagreinae, while the rest of the genera are classified in the subfamily Ariinae. Previously, the family Ariidae has been grouped in the superfamily Doradoidea, but then it was moved into Bagroidea (along with Austroglanididae,

Claroteidae The Claroteidae are a family of catfish (order Siluriformes) found in Africa. This family was separated from Bagridae. However, the monophyly of the family is sometimes contested. The 9 genera contain 65 known species of claroteids. The family ...

Schilbeidae Schilbeidae is a family of catfishes native to Africa and Asia. These fish tend to swim in open water. Schilbid catfishes usually have dorsal fins with a short base and a spine, but '' Parailia'' lack a dorsal fin altogether. Most species also p ...

, Pangasiidae,

Bagridae The Bagridae are a family of catfish that are native to Africa ('' Bagrus'') and Asia (all other genera) from Japan to Borneo. It includes about 245 species. These fish are commonly known as naked catfishes or bagrid catfishes. Many large bagrid ...

Malapteruridae Electric catfish or Malapteruridae is a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes). This family includes two genera, '' Malapterurus'' and '' Paradoxoglanis'', with 21 species. Several species of this family have the ability to generate electricit ...

, and

Pimelodidae The Pimelodidae, commonly known as the long-whiskered catfishes, are a family of catfishes (order Siluriformes). Taxonomy The family Pimelodidae has undergone much revision. Currently, it contains about 30 genera and about 90 recognized and know ...

. It has also been classified in a superfamily Arioidea containing Ariidae and Anchariidae. The following genera are placed in this family: *

Ariinae The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family (taxonomy), family of catfish that mainly live in Marine (ocean), marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones. The family i ...

Bleeker, 1858 :* '' Aceroichthys'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Amissidens'' :* '' Amphiarius '' :* '' Ariopsis''

Gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow r ...

, 1861 :* ''

Arius Arius (; ; 250 or 256 – 336) was a Cyrenaica, Cyrenaic presbyter and asceticism, ascetic. He has been regarded as the founder of Arianism, which holds that Jesus Christ was not Eternity, coeternal with God the Father, but was rather created b ...

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

in G. Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840 :* '' Aspistor '' :* '' Batrachocephalus'' Bleeker, 1846 :* '' Betancurichthys'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Bleekeriella'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Brustiarius'' Herre, 1935 :* '' Carlarius'' Marceniuk & Menezes, 2007 :* '' Cathorops''

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

& Gilbert, 1883 :* '' Cephalocassis'' Bleeker, 1857 :* '' Chinchaysuyoa'' Marceniuk,

Marchena ''Marchena'' is a genus of jumping spiders only found in the United States. Its only described species, ''M. minuta'', dwells on the barks of conifers along the west coast, especially California, Washington and Nevada.Maddison, Wayne. 1995. ...

, Oliveira, and Betancur-R, 2019 :* '' Cinetodus'' Ogilby, 1898 :* '' Cochlefelis'' Whitley, 1941 :* '' Cryptarius'' Kailola, 2004 :* '' Doiichthys'' Weber, 1913 :* '' Genidens'' Castelnau, 1855 :* '' Hemiarius'' Bleeker, 1862 :* '' Hemipimelodus'' Bleeker, 1857 :* '' Hexanematichthys'' Bleeker, 1858 :* '' Jayaramichthys'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Ketengus'' Bleeker, 1846 :* '' Kyataphisa'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Megalosciades'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Nedystoma'' Ogilby, 1898 :* '' Nemapteryx'' Ogilby, 1908 :* '' Neoarius'' Castelnau, 1878 :* '' Netuma'' Bleeker, 1858 :* ''

Notarius A notarius is a public secretary who is appointed by competent authority to draw up official or authentic documents (compare English "notary"). In the Roman Catholic Church there have been apostolic notaries and even episcopal notaries. Document ...

, 1863 :* '' Occidentarius'' Betancur-R. & Acero P., 2007 :* '' Osteogeneiosus'' Bleeker, 1846 :* '' Pachyula'' Ogilby, 1898 :* '' Papuarius'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* '' Paragenidens'' Marceniuk, Ingenito, Lima, Gasparini & Oliveira, 2019 :* '' Pararius'' Whitley, 1940 :* '' Plicofollis'' Kailola, 2004 :* '' Potamarius'' Hubbs &

Miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...

, 1960 :* '' Potamosilurus'' Marceniuk & Menezes, 2007 :* '' Pseudosciades'' Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 :* †'' Qarmoutus'' El-Sayed ''et al'', 2017 (

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

;

Late Eocene The Priabonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS's geologic timescale, the latest age (geology), age or the upper stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Eocene epoch (geology), Epoch or series (stratigraphy), Series. It spans ...

of Egypt) :* '' Sciades''

Müller Müller may refer to: Companies * Müller (company), a German multinational dairy company ** Müller Milk & Ingredients, a UK subsidiary of the German company * Müller (store), a German retail chain * GMD Müller, a Swiss aerial lift manufacturi ...

& Troschel, 1849 :* '' Tachysurus'' Lacepède, 1803 * Bagreinae Schultz, 1944 ** '' Bagre'' Cloquet, 1816 * Galeichthyinae Acero & Betancur-R., 2007 ** '' Galeichthys''

in G. Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840

Distribution and habitat

Ariids are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones. Ariids are unusual among catfish in that they live primarily in the

sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...

; the majority of catfish families are strictly

and have little tolerance for

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuari ...

or marine conditions. Ariid catfish are found in shallow temperate and tropical seas around the coastlines of

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Many other species of catfish are also present in freshwater habitats; some species only occur in freshwater. In North and South America, about 43 species extend into brackish water or are found exclusively in fresh water.

Appearance and anatomy

Ariid catfish have a deeply forked caudal fin. Usually, three pairs of

barbel Barbel may refer to: *Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles *Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish **''Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprini ...

s are present. They possess some bony plates on their heads and near their dorsal fins. Some species have venomous spines in their dorsal and pectoral fins.

Skull

The gafftopsail catfish is sometimes called the "crucifix catfish" because its dried skull bones resembles a cruciform man. This is an example of

pareidolia Pareidolia (; ) is the tendency for perception to impose a meaningful interpretation on a nebulous stimulus (physiology), stimulus, usually visual, so that one detects an object, pattern, or meaning where there is none. Pareidolia is a specific bu ...

Ecology

Beyond their maritime habitat, ariid catfish have a number of unique adaptations that set them apart from other catfish. Most, if not all species, are

mouthbrooding Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...

fish, with the male carrying a small clutch of a few dozen, tiny eggs for about two months until the eggs hatch and the fry become free-swimming.

Relationship to humans

One well-known ariid catfish is the hardhead catfish, ''Ariopsis felis'', abundant along the Western Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Mexico. Although hardhead catfish reach a weight of about and are edible, they have a mixed reputation as

game fish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish species pursued by recreational fishing, recreational fishers (typically angling, anglers), and can be freshwater fish, freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be fish as food, eaten aft ...

and are often considered nuisance bait stealers. A less-abundant species, more highly regarded as a game and food fish, is the gafftopsail catfish, ''Bagre marinus''. The range of the gafftop extends further south, to Venezuela. The smaller ariid catfishes have minor value as public and home

aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...

fish. In 1972, the

Shedd Aquarium Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago. Opened on May 30, 1930, the aquarium holds about 32,000 animals. It is the third largest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere (after the Georgia Aquariu ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

received worldwide acclaim for the first successful breeding of ''Ariopsis felis'' in captivity, a feat they have repeated several times since. The

Colombian shark catfish The Tete sea catfish (''Ariopsis seemanni'') or Colombian shark catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae, native to Pacific-draining rivers and estuaries in Central and South America. In the aquarium Tete sea catfishes are occa ...

''Sciades seemanni'' (until recently ''Hexanematichthys seemanni'') is a fairly popular aquarium fish, though it has been traded under a variety of spurious names, such as ''Arius jordani'' and ''Arius seemani''. Less commonly traded aquarium species include ''Arius berneyi'' and ''Arius graeffei''.The catfish family Ariidae
/ref>

References

{{Authority control Catfish families Taxa named by Lev Berg Extant Campanian first appearances