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The Striped Catfish (Plotosus lineatus) is a tropical fish species that is member of the ‘Catfishes’ family Plotosidae. It has a broad distribution throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific and in Australia it is known to occur on the east coast as far south as Sydney in New South Wales. On the west coast it can be found down to Esperance in Western Australia. This species is easily recognised by its black coloured body with white stripes, the barbels around the mouth and the shape of its body which tapers to a point at the tail. This species can be found in large aggregations where they form dense balls and sift through the sand en masse for food. It is known to primarily feed on benthic vertebrates and algae’s. It is generally found in coastal estuaries and bays. Adults tend to be found individually and do not form aggregations like juveniles do. This species has some very sharp spines which can be very painful if handled. The Striped Catfish (Plotosus lineatus) grows to a maximum length of approximately 35cm.
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