Wayuu Sea Catfish

Distinguished from its subcongeners from the Western Atlantic by the following combination of characters: maxillary barbel reaching or surpassing base of pectoral spine; orbital diameter 1.8-2.5 (rarely 1.7) in snout length; orbital diameter 5.2-7.8 in maxillary barbel length; orbital diameter 4.0-5.7 in external mental barbel length; no fleshy papillae on lateral and mesial surfaces of first and second gill arches; 17-20 gill rakers on first arch; 16-19 gill rakers on second arch; supraoccipital process 9.1-11.5% SL; silvery or whitish coloration on flanks and abdominal region in life; 41-43 free vertebrae; dorsal-fin spine shorter or as long as pectoral-fin spine; dorsal-fin spine length 1.05-1.3 in pectoral-fin spine length; densely granulated cephalic shield; eight fixed mitochondrial substitutions; pale pigmentation on pelvic and pectoral fins; short and inconspicuous serrations on posterior margin of pectoral-fin spine; lower caudal-peduncle 6.2-8.3% SL; snout length 1.0-1.4 in supraoccipital process length; supraoccipital process length 0.7-0.9 in width of cephalic shield at lateral ethmoid area; and orbital diameter 2.8-3.9 (rarely 2.7) in width of cephalic shield at lateral ethmoid area. Differs from its subcongeners from eastern Pacific by the following characters: osseous portion of dorsomedial groove of neurocranium conspicuous and deep, with straight margins tapering posteriorly; dorsal-fin spine thicker or as thick as pectoral-fin spine; narrow caudal-fin lobes, pointed posteriorly; 18-23 gill rakers on first arch; 16-19 gill rakers on second arch; mouth 8.9-11.7% SL; orbital diameter 3.5-4.9% SL; cephalic shield at supracleithrum area 16.6-18.2% SL; 16-21 gill rakers on first arch; 19-24 anal-fin rays; fleshy portion of dorsomedial groove of neurocranium inconspicuous, wide and shallow, not continuous to the level of posterior nares; supraoccipital process 9.1-11.5% SL; mesial mental barbel 10.8-16.7% SL; thin lips; and accessory tooth plates and posterior expansion of dentary with small molariform teeth (Ref. 92375).

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Analsoft rays: 19 - 24; Vertebrae: 40 - 43

Found in brackish and coastal marine waters (Ref. 92375).

Cathorops wayuu, the Wayuu sea catfish, is a species of sea catfish. It is found in shallow coastal and estuarine waters from Camarones in Colombia to the Gulf of Paria in Venezuela. Maximum recorded body length is 31.4 cm.