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Galeichthys feliceps Valenciennes, 1840

White barbel
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Galeichthys feliceps   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Galeichthys feliceps (White barbel)
Galeichthys feliceps
Picture by Alvheim, O./Institute of Marine Research (IMR)

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Siluriformes (Catfishes) > Ariidae (Sea catfishes) > Galeichthyinae
Etymology: Galeichthys: Greek, galeos = a shark + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Valenciennes.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; brackish; demersal; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range ? - 120 m (Ref. 27121). Subtropical; 23°S - 35°S, 14°E - 33°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southeast Atlantic: Walvis Bay, Namibia to the vicinity of East london, South Africa (Ref. 85159). Records from Guinea-Bissau as Tachysurus feliceps and from Guinea as Arius feliceps are erroneous.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 26.3, range 25 - 27.5 cm
Max length : 55.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3976); common length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3546)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Vertebrae: 51 - 52. This species is distinguished by the following characters: head longer than, or nearly as long as, broad; tooth patches are posterior to premaxillary band touch at midline; relatively long and thin maxillary barbel, extending at least to pectoral fin spine origin (longer in females); dorsal fin spine length more than 70% of its height; pectoral-fin spine at vertical extends at most to hind edge of dorsal fin base; deeply forked caudal fin with moderately slender, with pointed lobes, upper lobe longer; caudal peduncle approximately twice as long as deep; 11-14 gill-rakers on anterior face of first arch; upper two-thirds of body darkened, some lateral speckling and belly stark white; median anterior cranial fontanelle (of exposed skull) elongate and bullet-shaped; smooth and shallow median cranial depression, deepest posteriorly at frontal/supraoccipital suture. 10-12 pectoral fin rays; 51-52 (17 precaudal, 34-35 caudal) total vertebrae. Dimorphism of posterior (humeral) process of cleithrum obvious externally, in females, fan-shaped, in males triangular (Ref. 85159).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Generally found in large shoals on muddy bottoms in turbid waters, usually on the coastline and estuaries. Also found in rivers (Ref. 3976). Feed on crayfish, small fish, and crabs (Ref. 27121). Considered a nuisance of shore and ski-boat anglers in southern Africa as little else is caught (Ref. 12484). Spines are poisonous and wounds should be treated immediately. Marketed smoked (Ref. 36731).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

A paternal mouthbrooder.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Ferraris, Jr., Carl J. | Collaborators

Kulongowski, C., 2010. Revision of the ariid catfish genus Galeichthys Valenciennes (subfamily Galeichthyinae), with description of a new species from South Africa and designation of a neotype for G. ater Castelnau. Smithiania Bull. (12):9-23. (Ref. 85159)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)


CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Venomous (Ref. 4716)





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
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Larval dynamics
Distribution
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FAO areas
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
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Human related
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Aquaculture profiles
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 15.5 - 27.7, mean 24.7 °C (based on 222 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5625   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00871 (0.00476 - 0.01595), b=2.98 (2.81 - 3.15), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.8   ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tm=2-3).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (42 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 58.8 [31.1, 163.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.982 [0.617, 1.768] mg/100g; Protein = 19.1 [16.4, 21.4] %; Omega3 = 0.447 [0.242, 0.840] g/100g; Selenium = 28.8 [15.4, 56.8] μg/100g; VitaminA = 12.4 [4.9, 32.0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.798 [0.538, 1.212] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.