Bleekeriella
| Bleekeriella | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Ariidae |
| Genus: | Bleekeriella Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris, 2023 |
| Species: | B. leptaspis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Bleekeriella leptaspis (Bleeker, 1862)
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Bleekeriella leptaspis, the triangular shield catfish, boofhead catfish, freshwater forked tailed catfish, salmon catfish, or lesser salmon catfish,[3] is a monospecific genus of catfish in the family Ariidae.[4] It was described by Pieter Bleeker in 1862, originally under the genus Hexanematichthys.[4] It inhabits marine, brackish and freshwaters in Australia and New Guinea, at a maximum known depth of 135 m (440 ft). It reaches a maximum standard length of 60 cm (24 in).[4]
The generic name honours Dutch ichthýologist Pieter Bleeker.[4][5]
It is the only member of the monospecific genus Bleekeriella.[6]
The diet of the triangular shield catfish includes insects, mollusks, prawns, finfish and aquatic plants.[7] It is preyed upon by fish such as Scleropages jardinii and the Barramundi, and snakes in the species Acrochordus arafurae.[8]
The triangular shield catfish breeds between September and January.[4]
References
- ^ Hammer, M.; Kennard, M. (2019). "Neoarius leptaspis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019 e.T197010A2477832. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T197010A2477832.en. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ^ Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species related to Bleekeriella leptaspis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ Common names of Bleekeriella leptaspis at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Bleekeriella leptaspis". FishBase. August 2025 version.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (18 July 2024). "Family ARIIDAE Bleeker 1858 (Sea Catfishes)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
- ^ Marceniuk, A. P.; C. Oliveira; C. J. Ferraris, Jr. (2023). "A new classification of the family Ariidae (Osteichthyes: Ostariophysi: Siluriformes) based on combined analyses of morphological and molecular data". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 200 (2): 426–476. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad078.
- ^ Food items reported for Bleekeriella leptaspis at www.fishbase.org.
- ^ Organisms Preying on Bleekeriella leptaspis at www.fishbase.org.