Species: Notarius grandicassis, Thomas Sea Catfish

Notarius grandicassis (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840)

Thomas Sea Catfish

Head rounded, only slightly flattened; snout very prominent, pointed when viewed from above, strongly overhanging mouth; shield on top of head rough reaching to between eyes; no groove on center top of head; bony process behind head shield usually narrower at base than at rear, with sides varying from straight to strongly convex, forming an oval shield; bony plate before base of dorsal fin spine a short crescent or chevron; 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 pectoral fin; gill opening wide, membranes not adhering to breast; teeth on roof of mouth pointed to granular, on 2 plates on each side, the front plate small, circular, and well separated, or absent, touching the large, long, ~ triangular rear plate; no rakers on rear surfaces of first two gill arches; gill rakers on front of 1st arch 13-17; 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.

Grey brown to yellow brown above, whitish below.

Reaches 90 cm.

Turbid muddy water of river mouths, estuaries and mangrove lagoons, mostly in fresh to brackish water.

Depth range: 0-35 m?

Colombia to Brazil.