Striped eel Catfish
Plotosus lineatus
La Cepède, 1803

Also known as Coral Catfish.

P. lineatus is the only catfish found in coral reefs; it is also found in estuaries, tide pools and open coasts

Juveniles of Plotosus species often form dense aggregations; in P. lineatus juveniles form dense ball-shaped schools of about 100 fish, while adults are solitary or occur in smaller groups of around 20 and are known to hide under ledges during the day.

Most species feed on crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes. Adult P. lineatus search and stir the sand incessantly for crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and sometimes fish

All species have been confirmed to be venomous except for P. fisadoha. The anterior spines of the dorsal and pectoral fins can inflict painful wounds. In P. lineatus, the highly venomous serrate spine of the first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins may even be fatal.

The Coral Catfish, also known as Striped Eel Catfish, Saltwater Catfish, or Marine Catfish, can be found in schools sifting into the substrate on and around reefs in the Indo-Pacific. The color of the Coral Catfish changes as the fish matures. The young juveniles are entirely black. As they mature, the body becomes brown and yellow or white horizontal stripes appear. As an adult, the brightness of the colors fade.

In the wild, the Coral Catfish is found scavenging in the sand,. It will dig in and out of the sand in search of food. The Coral Catfish is thought to go into freshwater river systems at times as an adult in the wild. It can accommodate salinity variations.

Juvenile coral catfish form amazing and beautiful schools, and do not do well when separated. They may hide themselves and stop eating. As the Coral Catfish matures, it begins to lose its schooling behavior.

Interestingly, unlike the freshwater Siluriformes from which it evolved, Plotosus has evolved long ampullary canals in its electrosensory organs (originally termed "ampullae of Lorenzini", though now the name is not used) as the voltage gradient across the skin is less than in fresh water and so they must extend deeper into the fish where the difference will be more marked in order that the maximal volatage be registered. Such deep canals are found in elasmobranchs, though not in the freshwater stingray Potamotrygon, indicating this time loss of extended canals rather than gain.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Plotosidae
Genus: Plotosus