Species: Aspredinichthys filamentosus, Sevenbarbed Banjo, Sevenbarbed Banjo Catfish

Aspredinichthys filamentosus (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840)

Sevenbarbed Banjo, Sevenbarbed Banjo Catfish

Head and front of body broad and flattened; body long, slender, tapering to a whiplike end; a strong bony shield on top of head; tip of snout smooth, without hooked spines; eyes tiny; front and rear nostrils separated by a space >nostril diameter; mouth under head; a pair of barbels (with a small associated barbell) at top lip that lack a membrane joining them to side of head, underside of head and belly with ~7 pairs of barbels; gill opening a tiny slit before pectoral fin base; dorsal fin base short, with a weak spine; no skin flap 2nd dorsal fin; anal fin with a very long base, 50-60 rays; pectoral fin low on side, with a strong lockable spine; no scales.

Dark brown above, pale below; fins dark brown to blackish.

Reaches: 22 cm.

In estuaries and river mouths on mud bottoms.

Depth range: 0-10 m?

The Orinoco to the Amazon, Brazil.