Belize Sea Catfish

description

Description. (Tables 1 and 3). Head very long and depressed, profile slightly convex at level of frontals and supraoccipital. Body wider rather than deeper on pectoral girdle area. Cephalic shield long and rugose, wide on lateral ethmoid, frontal, supracleithrum, and epioccipital areas. Osseous bridge formed by lateral ethmoid and frontal long and slender, quite evident under skin. Dorsomedian groove of neurocranium formed by frontals and supraoccipital deep and relatively large, its margins well marked and progressively narrower posteriorly. Supraoccipital process relatively short and wide on posterior portion, profile straight. Nuchal plate crescent-shaped, short and wide. Snout long and rounded on transverse section. Anterior and posterior nostrils quite distant from one another. Eyes lateral and small. Interorbital distance long, distance between nostrils and orbit moderate. Maxillary barbel reaching base of pectoralfin spine, external mental barbel reaching margin of gill membrane, internal mental barbel not reaching margin of gill membrane. Mouth broad, lower jaw arched. Lips wide, lower lip thicker than upper lip. Vomerine tooth plates absent. One pair of oval shaped accesso

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Cathorops belizensis is distinguished from all congeners by having 19 - 20 gill rakers on first arch (vs. 14 - 16 in C. aguadulce, 14 - 15 in C. fuerthii, 37 - 40 in C. hypophthalmus, 14 - 16 in C. kailolae, 13 - 16 in C. manglarensis, 16 - 18 in C. melanopus, and 14 - 18 in C. taylori), 18 - 21 anal-fin rays (vs. 22 - 25 in C. fuerthii, 22 - 23 in C. hypophthalmus, 25 - 27 in C. multiradiatus, 24 - 27 in C. manglarensis, 22 - 25 in C. spixii, and 22 - 23 in C. steindachneri), posterior margin of pectoral-fin spine with short and inconspicuous serrations (vs. long and conspicuous serrations in C. aguadulce, C. kailolae, C. melanopus, C. multiradiatus, and C. tuyra), orbital diameter 3.6 - 4.4 % SL (vs. 4.6 - 7.1 % SL in C. agassizii, 4.6 - 6.9 % SL in C. aguadulce, 3.0 - 3.5 % SL in C. hypophthalmus, 4.6 - 6.6 % SL in C. kailolae, 5.0 - 6.1 % SL in C. liropus, 4.5 - 5.0 % SL in C. melanopus, and 4.6 - 5.9 % SL in C. taylori), interorbital distance 12.9 - 15.1 % SL (vs. 9.9 - 12.3 % SL in C. aguadulce, 15.7 - 16.3 % SL in C. hypophthalmus, 8.9 - 12.3 % SL in C. kailolae, 11.1 - 12.1 % SL in C. melanopus), and dorsalfin spine length 29.4 - 33.3 % of distance from tip of sn

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species

distribution

Distribution. Cathorops belizensis is described from the mangrove channels near St. John´s College at Belize city, Belize (Fig. 11).

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species

etymology

Etymology. The specific epithet belizensis derives from the type locality of the species, Belize City.

Revision of the species of the genus Cathorops (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from Mesoamerica and the Central American Caribbean, with description of three new species