''Cathorops'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

es in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Ariidae The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family of catfish that mainly live in marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate zones. The family includes about 143 species. Taxonom ...

found in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

s. These species are found in the eastern and western Central and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

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 ...

and

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does in ...

habitats.Marceniuk, A.P. & Menezes, N.A. (2007)
Systematics of the family Ariidae (Ostariophysi, Siluriformes), with a redefinition of the genera.
''Zootaxa, 1416: 1–126.'' This genus is a strongly supported clade of this family.Betancur-R., R. & Acero P., A. (2005)
Description of ''Cathorops mapale'', a new species of sea catfish (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from the Colombian Caribbean, based on morphological and mitochondrial evidence.
/ref> It consists of a natural group in which the

monophyly In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gr ...

is well-defined by morphological and molecular evidence and the genus probably includes several unrecognized species from both American coasts.Marceniuk, A.P. (2007)
Description of ''Cathorops manglarensis'', a new species from the Colombian Pacific, with redescription of ''Cathorops multiradiatus'' (Siluriformes; Ariidae).
''Zootaxa, 1529: 33–48.''

Species

There are currently 22 recognized species in this genus: * ''

Cathorops agassizii ''Cathorops agassizii'' is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Carl H. and Rosa Smith Eigenmann in 1888, originally under the genus '' Tachisurus''.Eigenmann, C. H. and R. S. Eigenmann 1888 (18 July) ef. 1249''Pr ...

'' ( C. H. Eigenmann & R. S. Eigenmann, 1888) * ''

Cathorops aguadulce The estuarine sea catfish (''Cathorops aguadulce''), also known as the Aguadulce sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Seth Eugene Meek in 1904, originally under the genus ''Galeichthys''.Meek, S. E. ...

'' ( Meek, 1904) (Estuarine sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops arenatus ''Cathorops arenatus'', the yellow sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish. It is found in the western Atlantic from the Gulf of Paria in Venezuela to Maranhão Maranhão () is a state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, ...

'' (

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

, 1840) * ''

Cathorops belizensis ''Cathorops belizensis'', the Belize sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish. It is found in mangrove channels in Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to ...

'' Marceniuk & Betancur-R., 2008 (Belizean sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops dasycephalus ''Cathorops dasycephalus'', the big-belly sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family of catfish that mainly live in marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwid ...

'' ( Günther, 1864) (Big-belly sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops festae ''Cathorops festae'' is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae.Marceniuk, A.P., Marchena, J. & Betancur-R., R. (2016): ''Cathorops festae'' (Boulenger 1898) (Siluriformes; Ariidae), a valid species from Ecuador and Peru. ''Zootaxa, 4170 ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1898)Marceniuk, A.P., Marchena, J. & Betancur-R., R. (2016): ''Cathorops festae'' (Boulenger 1898) (Siluriformes; Ariidae), a valid species from Ecuador and Peru. ''Zootaxa, 4170 (1): 137–148.'' * ''

Cathorops fuerthii ''Cathorops fuerthii'', the Congo sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family of catfish that mainly live in marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwide in tr ...

'' ( Steindachner, 1876) (Congo sea catfish) * '' Cathorops higuchii'' Marceniuk & Betancur-R., 2008 (Higuchi's sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops hypophthalmus ''Cathorops hypophthalmus'', the gloomy sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish. It is found in coastal and estuarine waters of Costa Rica and Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, Repúbli ...

'' ( Steindachner, 1876) (Gloomy sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops kailolae The papillate sea catfish (''Cathorops kailolae''), also known as the Kailola's sea catfish,

'' Marceniuk & Betancur-R., 2008 (Kailola's sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops liropus The Conguito sea catfish (''Cathorops liropus'') is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Susan Brown Bristol in 1897. It is a tropical, freshwater catfish which occurs in Mexico. It reaches a standard length Fish ...

'' (

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

, 1897) (Conguito sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops manglarensis ''Cathorops manglarensis'' is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Alexandre Pires Marceniuk in 2007. It is a tropical, fresh and saltwater catfish which occurs in Colombia. It reaches a standard length of . The ...

'' Marceniuk, 2007 * '' Cathorops mapale'' Betancur-R. & Acero P, 2005 (Mapalé sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops melanopus ''Cathorops melanopus'', the dark sea catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864. It is a tropical, freshwater catfish which occurs in Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the ...

'' ( Günther, 1864) (Dark sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops multiradiatus ''Cathorops multiradiatus'', the box sea catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864. It is a tropical, marine catfish which occurs in Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Colombia, Per ...

'' ( Günther, 1864) (Box sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops nuchalis ''Cathorops nuchalis'', the Orinoco sea catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert Günther in 1864. It is a tropical, fresh and saltwater catfish which occurs between Venezuela and Guyana. It reach ...

'' ( Günther, 1864) (Orinoco sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops raredonae ''Cathorops raredonae'', the curator sea catfish or Raredon's sea catfish, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Alexandre Pires Marceniuk, Ricardo Betancur-Rodríguez and Arturo Acero Pizarro in 2009. It is a t ...

'' Marceniuk, Betancur-R. & Acero P, 2009 (Raredon's sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops spixii ''Cathorops spixii'', the Madamango sea catfish, raspfin sea catfish or spring cuirass, is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Louis Agassiz in 1829. It is a tropical, marine and brackish water-dwelling catfish which ...

'' ( Agassiz, 1829) (Madamango sea catfish) * '' Cathorops steindachneri'' ( C. H. Gilbert & Starks, 1904) (Steindachner's sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops taylori ''Cathorops taylori'', the Taylor's sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish The Ariidae or ariid catfish are a family of catfish that mainly live in marine waters with many freshwater and brackish water species. They are found worldwide in ...

'' (

Hildebrand Hildebrand is a character from Germanic heroic legend. ''Hildebrand'' is the modern German form of the name: in Old High German it is ''Hiltibrant'' and in Old Norse ''Hildibrandr''. The word ''hild'' means "battle" and ''brand'' means "sword". ...

, 1925) (Taylor's sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops tuyra ''Cathorops tuyra'', the Besudo sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish. It is found in shallow coastal and estuarine waters of the eastern Pacific from Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of C ...

'' ( Meek &

, 1923) (Besudo sea catfish) * ''

Cathorops wayuu ''Cathorops wayuu'', the Wayuu sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish. It is found in shallow coastal and estuarine waters from Camarones in Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America wi ...

'' Betancur-R., Acero P & Marceniuk, 2012 (Wayuu sea catfish)Marceniuk, A.P., Betancur-R., R., Acero P., A. & Muriel-Cunha, J. (2012): Review of the Genus ''Cathorops'' (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from the Caribbean and Atlantic South America, with Description of a New Species. ''Copeia, 2012 (1): 77–97.''

References

Ariidae Fish of Central America Fish of South America Vertebrates of Mexico Catfish genera Taxa named by David Starr Jordan Taxa named by Charles Henry Gilbert {{Ariidae-stub