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Species: Pseudauchenipterus nodosus, Cocosoda catfish

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front & rear nostrils well separated
D spine - base swollen
top lip barbel long, in groove under eye
chin: 2 pr barbels
roof mouth - no teeth
LL undulating, blue & white

Pseudauchenipterus nodosus (Bloch, 1794)

Cocosoda catfish

Body and head rounded, robust, head nearly as wide as long; snout rounded, with recessed lower jaw; top of head with a large, wide bony shield with a honeycomb pattern on top; front and rear nostrils well separated; eyes on side of head; 3 pairs of barbells, top lip pair longest, but not reaching tip of pectoral spine, 2 pair under chin; a groove under eye holds the top-lip barbell; roof of mouth without teeth; dorsal and pectoral fins with a strong spine, base of dorsal spine swollen in adults; dorsal fin 6 rays; anal fin 20-25 soft rays; skin-flap dorsal fin present; tail fin deeply forked; lateral line conspicuous and wavy, forked at the end; no scales.

Back and top of head bluey grey, sides yellowish to orange, underside of head and body pinkish; several vertical rows of white spots on body; wavy lateral line blue, edged above and below by a white line; tail fin broadly edged in black.

Reaches 30 cm.

On muddy bottoms of river mouths and in freshened seawater.  

Depth range: 0-25 m?

The Gulf of Paria to northern Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Brackish
  • Freshwater
  • Non Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Estuary
  • Freshwater
  • Mangrove
  • Mud
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Detritivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Detritus
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Benthic
  • No pelagic larva
  • No pelagic phase
  • No data
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent only
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Not evaluated / Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max (cm)
  • 30
Depth Range Min (m)
  • 0
Depth Range Max (m)
  • 25