| Ariidae (Sea catfishes), subfamily: Galeichthyinae |
| 45 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
|
reef-associated; marine |
| Southeast Atlantic: South Africa and Namibia. |
|
Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 19-22. This species is distinguished with the following characters: short head, nearly as broad as long; blunt snout, well-rounded in lateral profile and dorsally; palatal tooth patches posterior to premaxillary tooth band meet at midline; rounded caudal-fin lobes, of near equal length, fin not deeply forked; short and thick caudal peduncle; underside of body (both head and belly) covered with fine brown specks; anterior gill-rakers on first arch 10-13 (5 + 5); pectoral fin rays 9-12; fatty growth along pectoral fin spines of breeding females not present outside spawning season. Dimorphism present with posterior (humeral) process of cleithrum obvious externally, fan-shaped in females, triangular in males; smooth and shallow dorsomedian cranial depression on exposed skull not reaching supraoccipital process (Ref. 85159). |
| Carnivorous on benthic invertebrates, primarily annelids (Ref. 4332). |
|
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| traumatogenic |
|
Eastern Cape Province, Tsitsikamma Coastal Marine Park, RUSI 63803 (neotype of Galeichthys ater, 19.0 cm SL, male). Common along the
entire south coast of South Africa, from Table Bay, Cape Town (Atlantic Ocean) to the vicinity of East London (Indian Ocean); its NE most record, the east coast to Margate, KwaZulu-Natal Province (Ref. 85159). Occurs along the south coast to Port Alfred where it comprises more or less 30% of Port Alfred's linefish catch and considered increasingly important as other linefish decline (Ref. 4332).
Status of threat: Stock is sound but vulnerable (Ref. 4332). |
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