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Estuary Catfish
Cnidoglanis macrocephalus (Valenciennes, 1840)

An Estuary Catfish at a depth of 2.4m, Red Rock Estuary, New South Wales, January 2002. Photo © I. Shaw. View larger image.

An Estuary Catfish at a depth of 3m, Bare Island, La Perouse, New South Wales, 1997. Photo © Á. Lumnitzer. View larger image.

An Estuary Catfish in shallow water, east side of Bare Island, La Perouse, New South Wales. Photo © G. McNeil. View larger image.

The dorsal fin spine of an Estuary Catfish from the Australian Museum Fish Collection (AMS I.43536-001). This fish was caught near Newcastle, New South Wales. Photo: M. McGrouther © Australian Museum. View larger image.

The Estuary Catfish has a large flattened head and a body that tapers to a pointed tail. The dorsal, caudal and anal fins are continuous.

The dorsal and pectoral fins each have an embedded spine. These serrated spines are poisonous. Puncture wounds from an Estuary Catfish spine can be very painful.

This species has a relatively small mouth that is surrounded by four pairs of barbels. A fifth pair of barbels is present above the snout.

The Estuary Catfish is mottled brown and yellow.

It occurs in estuaries and silty bays of temperate marine waters from southern Queensland to southern Western Australia.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Skulls of this species are sometimes found washed up on beaches. View images of the upper surface and lower surface .

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Estuary Catfish Cnidoglanis macrocephalus (Valenciennes, 1840)

Further reading

Estuary Catfish
Cnidoglanis macrocephalus (Valenciennes, 1840)