Species: Cathorops wayuu, Wayuu Sea Catfish

Cathorops wayuu Marceniuk et al, 2012

Wayuu Sea Catfish

Body elongate; head long, depressed, profile a little higher at rear, straight to concave on front & rear sides; snout long, rounded/ blunt; 2 pairs of close-set nostrils; no fleshy furrow extends across snout and connects rear nostrils; eyes small, on side; shield on top of head rough & granular, covered with thin skin, extending back past eyes, its rear process funnel shaped, short, moderately wide at rear, its profile straight to slightly convex, its length 9.1-11.5% of SL, 60-90% of head width, meets a short, narrow crescent-shaped plate at front of base of dorsal fin spine; a groove along top of head, front part fleshy, conspicuous, extending to level of rear nostrils, rear part bony, deep, with straight edges, tapering to rear; three pairs of relatively short, narrow barbels (on chin and both jaws), that of top jaw reaching to/past pectoral spine base in adult; mouth small, opens at front or slightly below; lips thin; one pair of oval, close-set tooth patches on roof of mouth, of variable size, with molar teeth, males with fewer, smaller teeth; gill opening restricted to sides by adhesion of gill membranes to breast; well developed, uniformly distributed gill rakers present on front and rear surfaces of first two gill arches, 17-20 (rarely 21) at front of 1starch, 16-19 on 2nd arch, no papillae between gill rakers; dorsal spine short (~20% SL), thick, front surface granular on basal 2/3, short serrations above, rear surface all with short serrations; pectoral spine relatively short (~18% SL,< dorsal spine), all of front edge with granules/small serrations, ~all rear edge with inconspicuous, short serrations; anal fin moderately deep, relatively short, 19-24 rays, outer edge concave; tail base low; tail fin deeply forked, lobes moderately long, top lobe longer; a complete lateral line, with branches to top and bottom base of tail fin, no scales.

Grey above, silvery white on sides & belly; fins dusky, often with red tinges, anal fin lighter than other fins; top jaw barbell dark, chin barbell lighter.

Reaches 39.5 cm.

Lives in brackish and coastal marine waters.

Depth: 0-20 m.

E Colombia to the Gulf of Paria.

Note: Genetically distinct from the cooccuring C. mapale, but the two species cannot be reliably distinguished morphologically.