Relevant synonyms Arius capellonis Arius granulatus Trachysurus heudelotii Misidentification Arius thalassinus Meristic formula D, 7-8; A, 16-17; P, 11-13; V, 6; GR, 11-14  drawing : Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body elongated, the head region somewhat flat. Short-based dorsal fin with strong serrated spine in front. A strong serrated spine in front of pectoral fin. Caudal fin forked. A small adipose fin opposite anal fin. A rugose bony shield, without preorbital extensions, on the head, extending anteriorly to orbit center. Mouth inferior. Three pairs of barbels, two on the chin and a longer pair on the upper jaw, reaching the pectoral fin origin. Small villiform teeth on the premaxilla and on two well-separated palatine patches. No scales on the body. color : dark brown to green on the back becoming light brown to silvery-grey on belly. Fin tips darker. size : common 15 - 30 cm (max. 50 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The three pairs of barbels distinguish A. parkii from all other Mediterranean species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Enters rivers and estuaries. Presumably, the male incubates eggs and juveniles in his mouth. Capable of producing sound by vibrating small bones against the surface of the swim bladder, which serves as amplifier. habitat : coastal waters.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1986. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : East Atlantic from Cape Blanc to Angola. Mediterranean : a single specimen was recorded from Israel (Golani and Ben-Tuvia, 1986). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via Gibraltar. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS The dorsal and pectoral serrated spines are venomous and can cause very painful wounds. Commercially important in its native area.

KEY REFERENCES Golani D. and Ben-Tuvia A., 1986. New records of fishes from the Mediterranean coast of Israel including Red Sea immigrants. Cybium, 10:285-291. Golani D. and Sonin O., 1996. The occurrence of the tropical west African marine fishes Acanthurus monroviae (Acanthuridae) and Arius parkii (Ariidae) in the Levant. Aqua. Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology, 2: 1-3. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: March 2001 ©ciesm 2002