Neosilurus ater (Perugia, 1894)
Narrowfront tandan
Neosilurus ater
photo by JJPhoto

Family:  Plotosidae (Eeltail catfishes)
Max. size:  47 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 2,000.0 g
Environment:  demersal; freshwater
Distribution:  Asia and Oceania: northern Australia and central-southern New Guinea.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 1-1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5-6; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 89-105
Biology:  Found in rivers and smaller streams, usually where currents are relatively swift (Ref. 5259). Also lives in still or gently flowing water of pools and side channels. A solitary species (Ref. 44894). Feed on mollusks, insects, prawns (Ref. 5259, 44894) crustaceans and worms (Ref. 44894). Spawning period coincides with the rise of the monsoonal floods (Ref. 38147, 44894). Adults migrate upstream into shallow riffle zones where they spawn in pairs. The demersal eggs lodge in crevices on the bottom and hatch 2-3 days later (Ref. 44894).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 13 February 2019 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  venomous


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