DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #806: NO NOODLING THIS CATFISH

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

drbill

The Lorax for the Kelp Forest
Scuba Legend
Rest in Peace
Messages
22,824
Reaction score
6,061
Location
Santa Catalina Island, CA
# of dives
2500 - 4999
DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #806: NO NOODLING THIS CATFISH

Down South an interesting form of fishing is practiced known as "noodling." It involves catching catfish with one's bare hands. When catfish spawn, they do so in holes and the male guards the eggs after they are laid. The noodler enters the water and sticks his arm into the catfish's hole. The male then clamps down on the arm and the angler pulls it out of the hole. Now I've never tried this but I did catch catfish on rod and reel at the Valley Lo Sports Club my family belonged to during my high school years.

Although typical weights for catfish caught this way are about 40 pounds. some of the noodler's catches are twice that. No thanks. Today I'll write about a catfish that is at the other end of the mass spectrum, the striped or striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus). Diving tropical areas such as the Red Sea and the Philippines, I've encountered schools of the juveniles feeding over soft bottom habitats. They are frenetic, always moving and twisting and turning.

I always assumed this species was tiny, only an inch or two long, but during my research for this column I discovered that adults can reach over one foot in length. However, they are generally solitary or seen in small groups. Despite seeing a number of the juvenile schools, numbering as many as 100 or more individuals, I never had the good fortune to see and film an adult.

The fish is sometimes called the striped eel catfish because its second dorsal, caudal (tail) and anal fins are fused as in eels. However it is a true member of the catfish order. There are some 41 species of this specific group, all living in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific from Japan to Australia and out to Fiji. They have even snuck into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal and were first observed there back in 2002. Their population in the Med has exploded and they are considered a highly invasive threat to native species.

There are two white or yellowish stripes along the dark black or brown body which are very pronounced in the juveniles but fade in the adults.The tail fin is pointed or slightly rounded. Speaking of fins, one must be careful with the pectoral and first dorsal fins. They possess spines which can give a painful sting. The toxin released by them can even cause death.

Like other catfish, they have barbels, four pair surrounding the mouth. These are used to stir up the soft substrate and detect prey. Preferred food items include crustaceans, worms and molluscs. They will also include healthy veggies like algae and less desirable detritus. Adults add fish to their diet. Although schooling, as observed in the juvenile striped catfish, is often cited as a defense mechanism against predators, in this species it also facilitates foraging for food. During my research on this species, I didn't see any references to specific predators on the juveniles or adults.

Striped catfish are oviparous, meaning they release eggs that later hatch into larvae. Apparently they form spawning pairs as adults and the male constructs a nest under rocks or large debris.The eggs are demersal, that is deposited on the bottom. After spawning, the female leaves the nest site while the male guards the eggs. Sounds like our California state salt water fish, the garibaldi (Hypyspops rubicundus). This puts the male at greater risk, but we all know that males are dispensable. The eggs hatch into planktonic larvae and drift on to new habitats. Reminds me of Dobie Gray's song "Drift Away."


© 2019 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 800 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website http://www.starthrower.org

Image caption: Close-up of striped catfish juvenile and small group on the reef; feeding schools of juveniles on the hunt.

DDDB 806 striped catfish sm.jpg
 
 
 

Back
Top Bottom