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Fishes of Mainland Southeast Asia (1) H. B. Osmany (1)

Habitat: Osteogeneiosus militaris, the soldier catfish, is a species of sea catfish found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans from Pakistan to the Malay Archipelago. It is found in marine, brackish and fresh waters along the coasts. It grows to a length of 35 cm and is commercially caught for human consumption. Description: Dorsal profile of head rising as a gentle slope to first dorsal fin base; only one pair of stiff, semiosseous maxillary barbels, mental barbells absent; head shield smooth without granulations or rugose striations; supraoccipatal process narrow, more than twice longer than broad, its hind end narrowly curved; median longitudinal groove broad, not reaching to base of supraoccipital process; predorsal plate crescent shaped; premaxillarv band of teeth in upper jaw 5 times as long as broad, mandibulary band of teeth narrow, medially interrupted; palate teeth conical, in 2 widely separated but posteriorly converging semioval patches on each side. First dorsal and pectoral fins each with a strong spine; total anal fin rays 19 to 22. All other species of Ariidae: have 1 or 2 pairs of mental barbels (absent in O. militaris); maxillary barbels slender (not stiff or semiosseous). Differs from all other ariid species in having only a pair of semi-osseous maxilary barbels. Colouration: Top of head and back intense dark blue. belly with lighter shades sparingly dotted with black spots; greyish white, minutely spotted with black, tips of first dorsal and adipose fins dark blue. Reproduction: Gestating males were found starving. The occurrence of mature females and gestating male parents indicate that they spawn during August-April. The maximum number of incubated eggs recorded from oro – buccal cavity of O. militaris was 56 eggs. Diet: Feeds mainly on invertebrates and small fishes. Etymology: The genus name Osteogeneiosus: osteo-, bone; geneias, chin, referring to stiff and bony maxillary barbels. The specific name militaris: soldier or warlike, perhaps referring to bony (and hence sharp) maxillary barbels, which “arm” it like a solider. Remarks: At present, there is only one recognised valid species in Osteogeneiosus.

Soldier catfish

Silurus militaris

Ariidae

Indo-West Pacific: Distributed along the Indo-Pacific region from the west coast of India to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Singapore, Malacca, Indonesia, Brunii, Darussalam, Malaysia and Pakistan. Type Locality: Asia. No types known.

35.0cm (14ins)

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FAO Species Identification Sheets. Family: Ariidae 1983.
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2022. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2022).
Jayaram, K.C., 1984. Ariidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean fishing area 51. Vol. 1. FAO, Rome. pag. var.
Jayaram. K.C. 2006, Catfishes of India. Narendera Publishing House. 383p.
Wikipedia.org