Mayan sea catfish

The Mayan sea catfish (Ariopsis assimilis), also known as the Mayan catfish or the Maya sea catfish,^[2] is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae.^[3] It was described by Albert Günther in 1864, originally under the genus Arius.^[4] It is found in tropical brackish and freshwater bodies in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. It can reach a maximum total length of 35 cm (14 in), but more commonly reaches a TL of 25 cm (9.8 in).^[3]

Mayan sea catfish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Ariidae
Genus:	Ariopsis
Species:	A. assimilis
Binomial name
Ariopsis assimilis (Günther, 1864)
Synonyms[1]
Arius assimilis Günther, 1864 Galeichthys assimilis (Günther, 1864) Hexanematichthys assimilis (Günther, 1864) Sciades assimilis (Günther, 1864)

The Mayan sea catfish is of minor commercial interest to fisheries, and its meat is generally consumed fresh.^[3]