Species: Sciades couma, Couma Sea Catfish

roof mouth: 2 pr tooth patches fused in U
Sciades couma (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840)
Couma Sea Catfish
Head rounded, only slightly flattened; snout long, overhangs mouth, only slightly rounded when viewed from above; bony head shield very rough, granular, extends forward to between eyes; bony process between head shield and pre-dorsal plate rough, broad at base, tapering to rear, rounded above, without a keel; bony plate at front of base of dorsal fin large, saddle shaped; a large transverse skin fold between rear nostrils; three pairs of barbels (on both jaws and chin), top barbels with very thick bases; roof of mouth with two pairs of patches of conical teeth, front pair fused centrally and continuous with rear pair, the entire set U shaped; gill rakers on second arch 19-20 (17-21), no tiny rakers on rear of 1st 2 gill arches; gill opening wide, membranes not adhering to breast; pectoral soft rays 11 (10-11); tail fin deeply forked; a complete lateral line, with branches to top and bottom base of tail fin, no scales.
Yellowish-grey to dark grey brown above, abruptly white below; all fins dark grey, pectorals and pelvics with white edges.
Reaches 100 cm.
Rivers and turbid estuaries, to hypersaline waters.
Depth range: 1-20 m?
The Gulf of Paria (Venezuela) to the mouth of the Amazon.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Non Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom only
- Estuary
- Freshwater
- Mud
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Insects
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
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- Brooded
- Data
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Continent only
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 100
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 20