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Toothed driftwood catfish (Auchenipterus dentatus) — Auchenipteridae

Toothed driftwood catfish

Auchenipterus dentatus
LC · Least Concern

The Toothed driftwood catfish (Auchenipterus dentatus) is a freshwater fish of the family Auchenipteridae that grows up to 23 cm.

Length
22.9 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The toothed driftwood catfish is a driftwood catfish (Auchenipteridae) from South America. The species has a scaleless body, large eyes and long barbels. It inhabits mainly the upper reaches of rivers, where it stays in the upper water layers. Nocturnally it hunts insects and small zooplankton; by day it shelters among driftwood and bank structure. The pectoral and dorsal fin spines can inflict painful puncture wounds when handled.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Toothed driftwood catfish?

The Toothed driftwood catfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Toothed driftwood catfish live?

The Toothed driftwood catfish lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water.

How big does the Toothed driftwood catfish get?

The Toothed driftwood catfish grows to a maximum of about 23 cm.

Is the Toothed driftwood catfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Toothed driftwood catfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Toothed driftwood catfish edible?

The Toothed driftwood catfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Getande drijfhoutmeerval sourced
English name
Toothed driftwood catfish sourced
Scientific name
Auchenipterus dentatus
Family
Auchenipteridae
Other names
Suriname herring catfish sourced

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
22.9 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Sportvissen met kunstaas of (dood/levend) aasvis door te trollen, te werpen of drijvend te vissen in open water. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Auchenipterus

More from the family Auchenipteridae

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