Species: Bagre bagre, Coco Sea Catfish

Bagre bagre (Linnaeus, 1766)

Coco Sea Catfish

Head arched, little depressed; snout rounded as viewed from above; bony head shield with smooth surface, obscured by skin, its rear process narrow, tapering to rear, meeting a crescent shaped plate at base of dorsal fin spine; 2 pairs of close-set nostrils; no fleshy furrow extends across snout and connects rear nostrils; 2 pairs of barbels (on chin and top jaws), top pair with long flat filaments; teeth on roof of mouth in four patches that form a narrow tranverse arc; gill opening wide, membranes not adhering to breast; spines of dorsal and pectoral fin with long flat filaments; second dorsal adipose fin well developed; tail fin deeply forked; anal fin base long, 29-37 rays; tail fin deeply forked; a complete lateral line, with branches to top and bottom base of tail fin, no scales.

Silvery grey to bluey grey above, lighter below; a large black blotch on front of anal fin.

Reaches 55 cm.

Almost entirely marine, common around river mouths.

Depth range: 1-50 m.

Costa Rica to Brazil.