Gillbacker Sea Catfish

This species is distinguished by the following characters: in life, yellowish body; swim bladder divided into 3 chambers; shield-shaped nuchal plate, usually larger than the supraoccipital process; head shield exposed and granulated in orbital and postorbital regions; first 2 gill with no mesial gill rakers. Sciades parkeri can further be distinguished from sympatric congeners by the following: fleshy furrow connecting posterior nares absent (vs. present in S. couma, S. herzbergii and S. passany); moderately sized posterior chamber of swim bladder (vs. small in S. proops; absent in S. couma, S. herzbergii, S. passany); nuchal plate with no anterior notch (vs. anterior notched in S. proops, sometimes notched in S. herzbergii); palatal patches forming a U-shaped band (vs. transverse in S. passany, lateral edge on accessory patches not emarginated or shallowly notched; lateral edge with an angled and pronounced notch in S. proops) (Ref. 86589).

Distinct pairing. May employ mouth booding as parenting strategy (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Analsoft rays: 18 - 20; Vertebrae: 49 - 51

Mainly found in turbid waters over muddy bottoms in coastal areas, estuaries and lower parts of rivers. Sexually mature after around two years of age. Upon hatching, the alevins are relatively large, approximately 6.0-6.5 cm (Ref. 35381). Marketed fresh and salted (Ref. 5217). Fish exported to Canada, USA, England, and Holland (Rayman Bedessee, pers. comm.).

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

Sciades parkeri, the gillbacker sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish found in coastal rivers in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela. While usually no more than 90 cm in length, it can reach lengths of up to 190 cm and weigh up to 50 kg.