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Bronze sea catfish (Netuma bilineata) — Ariidae

Bronze sea catfish

Netuma bilineata
Family: Ariidae

The Bronze sea catfish (Netuma bilineata) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Ariidae that grows up to 90 cm.

Length
90 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Venomous / poisonous
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The bronze sea catfish is a sea catfish (Ariidae) from turbid coastal and estuarine water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 50 cm and has a sturdy, grey-bronze, scaleless body with a bony nape plate, three pairs of barbels and an adipose fin. As a bottom-dweller it searches over sand and mud for worms, crustaceans and small fish; the male broods the large eggs in his mouth. The dorsal and pectoral spines are venomous and can give a painful puncture wound.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bronze sea catfish?

The Bronze sea catfish has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Bronze sea catfish live?

The Bronze sea catfish lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Bronze sea catfish get?

The Bronze sea catfish grows to a maximum of about 90 cm.

Is the Bronze sea catfish dangerous to humans?

The Bronze sea catfish is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed.

Is the Bronze sea catfish edible?

Yes, the Bronze sea catfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Tweestreep-zeemeerval sourced
English name
Bronze sea catfish sourced
Scientific name
Netuma bilineata
Family
Ariidae
Other names
Bronze catfish; Catfish; Roundsnout sea catfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
90.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Venomous / poisonous verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Netuma

More from the family Ariidae

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