plotosus lineatus - striped eel catfish - Sharm el Sheikh 2023

Plotosus lineatus, commonly known as the striped eel catfish, is a species of eeltail catfish that belongs to the family Plotosidae[1]. Here are some key characteristics of the species:
- **Appearance**: The body of P. lineatus is brown with cream-colored or white longitudinal bands. When young, these fish are mostly black, but become brownish with white or yellow stripes as they mature. The stripes become less distinct in adults[3][6].
- **Size**: P. lineatus can reach a maximum length of 32 cm (13 in) [1].
- **Behavior**: Juveniles of P. lineatus 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. Adult P. lineatus search and stir the sand incessantly for crustaceans, mollusks, worms, and sometimes fish[1][2].
- **Reproduction**: P. lineatus is an oviparous fish; this species has demersal eggs and planktonic larvae. It has evolved long ampullary canals in its electrosensory organs (originally termed "ampullae of Lorenzini") [1].
- **Habitat**: P. lineatus is the only catfish found in coral reefs. It is also found in estuaries, tide pools, and open coasts[2][6].
- **Venomous Spines**: The highly venomous serrate spine of the first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins are dangerous, and even fatal in rare cases[4].
- **Conservation Status**: In Europe, P. lineatus is included since 2019 in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, etc. [1].
Here is a video of a school of juvenile striped eel catfish: thekidshouldse...
Citations:
[1] en.wikipedia.o...
[2] www.fishbase.s...
[3] reefapp.net/en...
[4] www.planetcatf...
[5] thekidshouldse...
[6] fishesofaustra...
en.wikipedia.o...
deepzen.net