Striped eel catfish
Plotosus lineatus
Also known as Coral catfish, Striped catfish, Barber eel
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 75–82°F (24–28°C)
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Adult size
- 12.6 in (32 cm)
- Minimum tank
- 106 gal (400 L)
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Schooling
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- No record
- Rarity
- Rare
- Reef safe
- Reef safe with caution
- Origin
- Ranges across Indo-Pacific reefs and estuaries, with juveniles entering brackish and fresh water.
- Family
- Plotosidae
Overview
Treat this fish as a venomous animal first and an aquarium fish second, since a sting from its spines is a genuine medical emergency, so never handle it and take great care during maintenance. It is only reef safe with caution: it will not nip corals but hunts small fish, shrimp, snails, and other mobile invertebrates over the sand. Juveniles need to be kept in a group to feel secure, which means a large tank of at least 400 liters for a school that grows to a foot long. Feed meaty marine foods like mysis, chopped seafood, and pellets.
In the wild
The striped eel catfish is the only marine catfish widely seen in the trade, living over sandy and rubble bottoms of Indo-Pacific reefs, lagoons, and estuaries. Juveniles gather in dense, ball-shaped schools that swirl over the substrate, while adults spread out and become more solitary. It needs a mature marine tank with a sandy bed, plenty of rock cover, and stable full-strength saltwater at 24 to 28 degrees C.
Good to know
Plotosus lineatus reaches about 32 cm and is armed with highly venomous serrate spines in the first dorsal and each pectoral fin, capable of causing severe pain and, in rare cases, death. The eel-like body carries cream and dark brown lengthwise stripes that fade with age. It is amphidromous, moving between salt and fresh water at different life stages.
Did you know
The pretty striped juveniles that swirl in a tight ball on the reef are one of the most dangerous fish a diver can touch, since their venomous spines can put an adult in hospital.
Where to buy
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…or ask your local fish store.
Appears in
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