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Species: Aspistor quadriscutis, Bressou Sea Catfish

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bone behind head shield- short, tapering
plate before D- large, saddle-shaped, front notch
roof mouth : 2 pr tooth patches - touch, form a long U, outer pr v elongate
gill rakers 11-14

Aspistor quadriscutis (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840)

Bressou Sea Catfish

Head arched, slightly flattened; snout broad, slightly rounded, overhanging mouth; shield on top of head very rough at rear, smooth at front, reaching to between eyes; no groove on center top of head; bony process behind head shield short, with a broad base tapering to a narrow round tip; bony plate before base of dorsal fin spine large, saddle-shaped, rough in center, with a shallow notch at front where it overlaps the bony process before it; 2 pairs of close-set nostrils; no fleshy furrow extends across snout and connects rear nostrils; three pairs of barbels (on chin and both jaws), top pair reaching to pectoral fin; teeth on roof of mouth pointed to granular, in 2 pairs of touching plates that form a long U, the outer plates very long and pointed; gill opening wide, membranes not adhering to breast; no rakers on rear surfaces of first two gill arches; gill rakers on front of 1st arch 11-14; bony plate above base of pectoral fin triangular, pointed; tail fin deeply forked; a complete lateral line, with branches to top and bottom base of tail fin, no scales.

Yellow to dark yellow; lighter below.

Reaches 50 cm.

Primarily marine, in turbid waters over muddy bottoms in shallow coastal areas, also in estuaries.

Depth range: 0-22 m?

The Gulf of Paria, Venezuela, to Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Estuary
  • Mud
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Mobile benthic worms
Egg Type
  • Brooded
  • Data
  • No pelagic larva
  • No pelagic phase
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 50
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 22