The Marine, Brackish & Freshwater Catfishes (Columbian, Silver-Tipped- "Sharks") of the Family Ariidae

/The Conscientious Marine Aquarist

The Marine, Brackish & Freshwater Catfishes (Columbian, Silver-Tipped- "Sharks") of the Family Ariidae

By Bob Fenner

Arius seemanni

Family Ariidae: Fourteen genera, about 120 species. Some freshwater species, others brackish to entirely marine.

Confusing is the common name "iridescent" shark... a moniker more often applied to catfishes of the family Pangasiidae. Please see there as well: The (Iridescent) Shark or Eat-em Up Catfishes of the Family Pangasiidae & FAQs,

Sciades seemanni (formerly Hexanematichthys seemanni, Arius seemanni, A. jordani) (Gunther 1864), the Tete Sea Catfish to science is variously sold as "a/the Silver Shark Catfish" and many more names in the pet-fish trade... Here living in a marine aquarium (they're not really freshwater). Though not the biggest, best example of mis-sold/placed catfishes... this species quickly grows to a total length of fourteen inches, and will gladly ingest its fish tankmates. Eastern Pacific; Mexico to Peru. Conds.: brackish to marine, pH 6.8-8.0, dH 8-30, temp. 22-26C. http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=13480&genusname=Sciades&speciesname=seemanni

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