BrackishSaltwater
Striped eel catfish
Plotosus lineatus
Plotosidae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 35.2 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 1,050 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Australia, Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Comoros, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong SAR China, and 40 more countries.
Introduced to Egypt, Israel, Syria, and Türkiye.
More about the species
Description
Coastal benthic. The only catfish found in coral reefs. Also found in estuaries, tide pools and open coasts. Juveniles form dense ball-shaped schools of about 100 fish; adults are solitary or occur in smaller groups of around 20 and are known to hide under ledges during the day. Adults search and stir the sand incessantly for crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and sometimes fish. Oviparous, with demersal eggs and planktonic larvae. The highly venomous serrate spine of the first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins are dangerous, and even fatal in rare cases.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Arius thalassinus
- Platystacus anguillaris
- Plotoseus ikapor
- Plotossus anguillaris
- Plotosus anguillaris
- Plotosus arab
In other languages
- Korallmal
- Stribet koralmalle
- Juovakorallimonni
- Barbel-eel catfish, Canine catfish eel, Catfish eel, Catfish-eel, Coral catfish, Eel catfish, Eel-tailed catfish, Lined catfish, Marine catfish, Striped cat-fish eel, Striped catfish, Striped catfish eel, Striped catfish-eel, Striped eel catish, Striped eel-catfish, Striped sea catfish, Stripped catfish, Young catfish eel
Articles
All articles
Fish that get along4 min read
Temperament, fin nippers, fish that eat other fish, and fish that need the same water. And what the Harmony mark in the app means.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.