Striped eel catfish
Plotosus lineatus
Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).
- English
- Striped eel catfish
- Scientific
- Plotosus lineatus
- Dhivehi
- އެއަށްޓެހިE-ahttehi
- Group
- Reef fish
- Maximum size
- Up to about 35 cm (total length); commonly 25 cm (FishBase); MRS 1997 gives max. 32 cm
- Depth and habitat
- Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 1 to 60 m; also enters brackish water
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2023
Description
An eel-like catfish, brown above and white below, with two or three white stripes along the body and four pairs of barbels around the mouth. Juveniles form dense, rolling balls of fish, while adults live alone or in small groups and stir up sand for crustaceans, molluscs and worms. The spines of its dorsal and pectoral fins are extremely venomous and can cause very painful wounds.
In the Maldives
Dhivehi name e-ahttehi (MRS 1997, OCR text). MRS notes it is not common in the Maldives and is most often seen in lagoons.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Plotosus-lineatus.html
- fao.org /4/AD471E/AD471E00.htm
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/ކެޓް_ފިޝް
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/އެއަށްޓެހި
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Plotosidae_-_Plotosus_lineatus.jpg
Dhivehi name source: M.R.S. (1997) Fishes of the Maldives (FAO/BOBP MAG/21) gives 'E-ahttehi' (Latin form). Thaana from the Dhivehi Wikipedia article 'އެއަށްޓެހި' (derived from the MRS 1997 Dhivehi edition); it matches the Latin form. Dhivehi Wikipedia also has: ކެޓް ފިޝް.