Species: Bagre marinus, Gafftopsail Catfish, Gafftopsail Sea Catfish

Bagre marinus (Mitchill, 1815)

Gafftopsail Catfish, Gafftopsail Sea Catfish

Head arched, little depressed; snout rounded as viewed from above; bony head shield with surface largely smooth(except granulated on center of elongate occipital process at rear of skull)), obscured by skin, its rear process narrow, tapering to rear, meeting a crescent shaped plate at base of dorsal fin spine; nape profile not angling up to dorsal fin; 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; dorsal fin VII, spines of dorsal and pectoral fin with long flat filaments; second dorsal adipose fin well developed; pectoral 11-13; tail fin deeply forked; anal fin base short, 23-26 rays; tail fin deeply forked; a complete lateral line, with branches to top and bottom base of tail fin, no scales.

Brown to bluey grey above, lighter below; no dark blotch at front of anal fin.

Reaches 69 cm and reported to 100 cm.

Predominantly marine, common around river mouths, and in high-salinity mangrove lagoons.

Depth range: 1-50 m.

Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico