RETFQEYTCK COPY 

Do Not Remove from the Libran/ 

U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

FWSlOB~-82/11.5 Notional we~iae~ LWr 

October 1983 700 Cajun Dome Boulevard TR EL-82.4 

Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) 

SEA CATFISH AND GAFFTOPSAIL CATFISH 

Coastal Ecology Group Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
FWS/OBS-82/11.5 

TR EL-82-4 

October 1983 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) 

SEA CATFISH 

AND 

GAFFTOPSAIL CATFISH 

Robert J. Muncy 

and 

William M. Wingo 

Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wil dl ife Research Unit 

142 Dorman Hall 

Mississippi State University 

Mississippi State, MS 39762 

Project Manager 

Larry Shanks 

Project Officer 

Norman Benson 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Sl idel 1, LA 70458 

This study was conducted 

in cooperation with 

Coastal Ecology Group 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Waterways Experiment Station 

Performed for 

National Coastal Ecosys tems Team 

Division of Biological Services 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Washington, DC 20240 
CONVERSION FACTORS 

Metric -- to U.S. Customary 

Mu1 ti ply - To Obtain 

rr~illimeters (mm) 

centimeters (cm) 

meters (m) 

ki 1 ometers (km) 

i nc hes 

inches 

feet 

miles 

square meters (m') 

square ki 1 ometers (km') 

hectares (ha) 

square feet 

square miles 

acres 

liters (1) 

cubic meters (m3) 

cubic meters 

gal 1 ons 

cubic feet 

acre-feet 

mi 1 1 i grams (mg) 

grams (gm) 

ki 1 ograms (kg) 

metric tons (mt) 

metric tons (mt) 

kilocalories (kcal) 

ounces 

ounces 

pounds 

pounds 

short tons 

BTU 

Celsius degrees Fahrenheit degrees 

U.S. Customary Metric 

inches 

inches 

feet (ft) 

fathoms 

miles (mi) 

nautical miles (nmi ) 

mi 11 imeters 

centimeters 

meters 

meters 

kilometers 

kilometers 

square feet (ft2) 

acres 

square miles (mi2) 

square meters 

hectares 

square ki 1 ometers 

gal 1 ons (gal ) 

cubic feet (ft 3, 

acre-feet 

1 i ters 

cubic meters 

cubic meters 

ounces (oz) 

pounds (Ib) 

short tons (ton) 

BTU 

grams 

k i 1 ograms 

metric tons 

kilocalories 

Fahrenheit degrees Cel si us degrees 
CClNTE NTS 

CONVERSION TABLE ................................ i i 

PREFACE ..................................... iv 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................ v 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE .......................... 1 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS ......................... 2 

IMPORTANCE ................................... 2 

LIFE HISTORY .................................. 4 

Spawning ................................... 4 

FecundityandEggs .............................. 5 

Yo1 k-Sac Larvae ............................... 5 

Larvae .................................... 5 

JuvenilesandAdults ............................. 6 

Adults .................................... 6 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ............................. 7 

COMMERCIAL/SPORT FISHERY ............................ 7 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE ................................ 9 

ENVIRONMENTALREQUIREMENTS ........................... 10 

Temperature ................................. 10 ( Salinity ................................... 10 

Dissolved Oxygen ............................... 11 

Substrate .................................. 11 

Depth .................................... 11 

WaterMovement ................................. 11 

Turbidity .................................. 11 

LITERATURE CITED 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms, 

principal ly fish, of sport, commercial, or ecological importance. The profiles 

are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists with a brief 

comprehensive sketch of the bi 01 ogical characteristics and envi ronmental requi rements of the species and to describe how populations of the species may be 

expected to react to environmental changes caused by coastal development. Each 

profile has sections on taxonomy, 1 .i fe history, ecological role, environmental 

requi rements, and economic importance, if appl icable. A three-ring binder is 

used for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared. 

This project is jointly planned and financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to: 

Information Transfer Specialist 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

NASA-Sl idel 1 Computer Complex 

1010 Gause Boul evard 

Sl idel 1, LA 70458 

U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention: WESER 

Post Office Box 631 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

This series should be referenced as follows: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983. Species profiles: life histories and 

environmental requi rements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. 1J.S. Fish 

and Wi Id1 i fe Service, givision of Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11. 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile should be cited as follows: 

Muncy, R.J., and W.M. Wingo. 1983. Species profiles: life histories and 

environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (Gulf of 

Mexico) -- sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish. U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Division of Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11.5. U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 17 pp. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We are grateful for the reviews by Dave Ruple, Gulf Coast Laboratory, Ocean 

Springs, Mississippi, and by William Perrett, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries 

Department, New Orleans. 
Figure 1. Sea catfish (top) and gafftopsail catfish (bottom). 

SEA CATFISH AND GAFFTOPSAIL CATFISH 

Scientific name .......... -- Arius fel is 

(Linnaeus) 

Si 1 urus mi fel i s ............. Linnaeus 

ty Charleston, SC) 

Arius mil berti .......... .Cuvier and 

Val enciennes 

Gal eich thys .............. Cuvi er and 

Val enciennes 

Ariopsi s fel is (L .) ..... .Taylor and 

Menezes 

-- Arius fel is (L.) ............ .Miller 

Preferred common name ..... sea catfish 

(Figure 1, Top) 

Other common names ......... Smallmouth 

catfish, silver catfish, hardhead, 

tourist trout 

Scientific name ........ Bagre marinus 

(Mitchill) 

~ilurus marinus ........... .I'litchi11 (type localit. NY) 

Bagre .......................... Oken 

Preferred common name ..... gafftopsai 1 

catfish (Figure 1, Bottom) 

Other common names ..Bigmouth catfish, 

gafftop 
Class .................... Osteichthyes 

Order .................... Siluriformes 

Family ........................ Ariidae 

Geographic range: Sea catfish. 

Atlantic coastal waters from Cape 

Cod, Massachusetts, to Yucatan, 

Mexico. Rarely north of Chesapeake Bay (Merriman 1940). 

Occasional ly enters freshwater 

(Platania and Ross 1980). Gafftopsail catfish. Coastal waters 

from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to 

Panama, and throughout the Gulf 

of Mexico (Briggs 1958). Gunter 

(1942) reported it in freshwater. 

The principal estuarine and 

coastal fishery areas for both 

species in the northern Gulf of 

Mexico region are noted in Figure 

2. 

MORPHOLOGY/IDENTIFICATION AIDS 

Naked skin, large serrated spines 

located at the front of the dorsal and 

pectoral fins, adipose fins, and a 

forked caudal fin are marine catfish 

features common with freshwater catfishes (Ictalurus). No barbels on 

nostril s, steel blue-gray dorsally, 

and silvery sides (Hoese and Moore 

1977) are distinctive marine catfish 

features. 

-- A. felis: 'D. I, 7; A. 19-20; P.1, 

6-10; V. 6. Two pair of short 

rounded barbel s on lower chin, 

maxi1 lary barbels nearly as 

long as the head. Dorsal and 

pectoral fins without first 

rays el onga ted separate sea 

catfish from gafftopsail catfish with elongated first 

rays. Body is elongated, 

steel -blue above and sil very 

be1 ow. Maximum 1 engthb95 mm 

(Perret et a1 . 1971). 

- B. marinus: 0.1, 7; A. 22-28; 

P.1, 11-14; V. 6. Two pair 

flattened barbels on lower 

chin and maxillary barbels 

reach nearly to ventral fins. 

First rays of dorsal and fins 

have elongated white f i 1 amen t 

equal to or exceeding spinal 

length. Anal fin with prominent V-shaped indentation on 

posterior margin (Merriman 

1940). Body robust steel-blue 

dorsally, and white ventrally. 

Maximum length 571 mm (Jones et 

al. 1978). 

IMPORTANCE 

Sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish are not favored sport orfood 

fishes ; however, their widespread 

distribution and abundance along the 

nearshore coast from southern Fl orida 

to western Texas cause them to rank 

high in trawl and saltwater angler 

catches in the Gulf of Mexico. Angler 

surveys along the northern gulf coast 

ranked sea and gafftopsail catfish 

harvest usually 2nd or 3rd and no lower 

than 13th among all saltwater finfishes. Industrial and commercial 

catches of these two species are purposeful ly low because areas with high 

abundance are avoided unless sui tab1 e 

higher valued fishes co-exist. Catfish 

are usually culled from trawl catches 

because of low consumer acceptance in 

pet food products or as human food fish 

(Benson 1982). Landings of sea catfish 

represented less than 2% of the weight 

in industrial bottom trawl' fi.sheries 

although exploratory trawl surveys on 

industrial trawl grounds revealed sea 

catfish to comprise from 2% to 36% of 

the weight of bottom fishes (Ragan et 

a1 . 1978; Roi thmayr 1965). Gafftopsail 

catfish taken incidentally in menhaden 

purse seine operations are marketed as 

food fish in Mississippi (Franks et al. 

1972). Commercial fisheries catch 

statistics probably far underestimate 

the actual poundages of sea and gafftopsail catfishes harvested, removed, 

or destroyed during fishing operations. 

Commercial and sport fi shennen 

consider the gafftopsail catfish and 

especially the sea catfish to be 

1 25.4 rnm = 1 inch. 

nuisances and dangerous. Commercial 

fishermen have difficulties in removing fish entangled by their spines 

in nets and pump hoses (Benson 1982). 

The toxic substances from spine punctures by sea catfish ranked high in 

virulence when compared to larger 

size freshwater ( Ictalurus) catfishes 

(Halstead et a1 . 1953; Birkhead 1972). 

The excessive sl imy mucus given off by 

gafftopsail catfish was a problem in 

nets and to humans handling this fish 

(Gudger 1916). Sport fishermen of ten 

catch these abundant a r i i d catfishes 

and consider them a nuisance when they 

are fishing for more desirable species 

in coastal areas. 

The oral gestation behavior of 

male sea and gafftopsail catfish 

carrying fertil ized eggs, larvae, and 

small juveniles in their mouths has 

been of scientific interest (Gudger 

1916; Lee 1937; Merriman 1940). Also, 

the eggs of these two species are the 

largest of all boney fishes (Merriman 

1940). 

LIFE HISTORY 

Spawning 

Sea catfish reach sexual maturity 

before 2 years of age (Benson 1982). 

The smallest mature gafftopsail catfish examined by Merriman (1940) was a 

gravid femal'e 265 mm standard length 

(SL). Lee (1937) found a 126mm SL 

gravid female sea catfish, but she 

stated that 150 mm SL was the minimum 

size at which sexual differences were 

noted in pelvic fins of males or 

females. Merriman (1940) thought that 

size of first sexual maturity for 

female sea catfish ranged from 120 to 

200 mm SL with most fish maturing at 

larger sizes. He found several 190- to 

200-mm SL immature ma1 es; therefore, 

males probably mature at sizes 

approaching 250 mm SL. 

Ward (1957) reported greater 

numbers of male sea catfish in a 

Mississippi Sound spawning area in 

March and April, but sexes were equally 

represented in May. Motile sperm were 

found in males from March until midJuly. Females contained developing ova 

in March, April, and May. Rapid enlargement of ova by the addition of 

yo1 k occurred in early June. 

Sea catfish spawn from May to 

August in back bays sometimes as 

shallow as 0.6 to 1.2 m (2 to 4 ft) 

with salinities from 13 to 30 ppt. 

Gafftopsail catfish spawn over inshore 

mudflats during a shorter time span 

(10 days) from May to August (Jones et 

al. 1978). Females of sea catfish 

develop f 1 apl i ke, adipose tissue on 

pelvic fins (Lee 1937) and pelvic fins 

of females of both species are larger 

than pelvic fins of males (Merriman 

1940). Gunter (1947) speculated that 

the highly adhesive nature of extruded 

eggs from sea catfish and the highly 

modified pelvic fin flaps suggested 

fertilization on and transfer from the 

female's pelvic fins to the male's 

mouth. The eggs might be picked up 

from sandy depressions since eggs of 

these two ariid catfish are demersal 

and early stages (gastrula) are not 

reported in col lections from ma1 es' 

mouth (Ward 1957). Merriman (1940) did 

not believe that all mature eggs from a 

female were extruded at one time. 

Female gafftopsail catfish caught 

on the Alabama coast in April contained 

we1 l-devel oped eggs (Swingle 1971). 

Female sea catfish from the Mississippi 

Soutld examined by Ward (1957) contained 

6- to 8-mm eggs in Apri 1, 9- to 14-mm 

eggs in rilay, and 14- to 16-mm eggs in 

June and July. Ova in females during 

early June enlarged by the addition of 

yo1 k and became greenish shortly before 

ovulation. Male sea catfish contained 

motile sperm from March until mid-July. 

Males carried developing young in their 
mouths from early May until early 

August (Ward 1957). 

Fecundity and Eggs 

The large eggs (14 to 19 mm in 

diameter) of sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish (Merriman 1940) and 

parental care by males of both species 

offset the low fecundities of 20 to 

64 eggs per female. Gunter (1947) 

reported smaller, nonfunctional 

hyal ine eggs, attached opposite the 

micropyle of larger extr-uded eggs, may 

serve as a nutritional source for the 

males during the 60- to 80-day oral 

gestation period. 

Lee (1937), Merriman (1940), Ward 

(1957), Mansueti and Hardy (1967), and 

Jones et al. (1978) did not provide 

fecundity data based on female sea 

catfish sizes, probably because of 

numerous small nonfunctional eggs 

attached to larger eggs. Ward (1957) 

gave a range of 40 to 62 eggs for 152 

female sea catfish and Merriman (1940) 

reported 20 to 64 mature ova produced 

each season. Jones et a1 . (1978) 

presented no body size relationship 

data for numbers of eggs ranging from 

20 to 68. Gudger (1916) indicated 

that the ovaries of female gafftopsail 

catfish are greatly distended by ripe 

eggs, 10 mm in diameter, that occupy 

50% to 60% of the body cavity, and 

crowd the other organs. 

Sea catfish eggs are 12 to 19 mm 

in diameter, greenish, and demersal ; 

fertilized eggs are oval or elliptical 

shaped and 14 to 18 mm long. A thin, 

colorless, adhesive film covering is 

1 os t with embryo1 ogical development. 

Gafftopsail catfish eggs are 15 to 26 

mm in diameter, golden yellow, and 

demersal. Mansueti and Hardy (1967) 

and Jones et al. (1978) illustrated 

and summarized embryo1 ogical developments for the two species. Eggs of 

sea catfish hatched in approximately 

30 days at 30°C (86°F) (Jones et al. 

1978). The incubation period through 

the yo1 k-sac . 1 arval stage in the ma1 e 

gafftopsail catfish's mouth was 42 to 

70 days, although hatching time and 

water temperatures were not specified 

(Jones et a1 . 1978). 

Since the eggs and larvae of both 

species are retained in the male's 

mouth until yolk sacs are absorbed, 

adverse external environmental condi tions are reduced by the mobility and 

supportive actions of the parent. 

Gudger (1916) mentioned that fine 

sediments quickly coated demersal 

gafftopsail catfish eggs in flowing 

aquaria, thereby reducing oxygen 

transfer. Lee (1937) suggested that 

the adhesive film over sea catfish 

eggs, if left unattended, would be 

quickly covered by sand and sediment. 

Ward (1957) found that unaerated sea 

catfish eggs did not develop. Gudger 

(1916) reported advanced stages of 

gafftopsail catfish eggs remained alive 

for some time in mouths of dead males 

if moisture was retained on the eggs. 

Yo1 k-Sac Larvae 

Jones et al. (1978) reported sea 

catfish yo1 k-sac larvae were 29 to 

45 mm total length (TL) and gafftopsail 

catfish yo1 k-sac larvae approximated 45 

to 78 mm TL. This stage remains in the 

male's mouth for 2 to 4 weeks until the 

yo1 k-sac is absorbed. 'The juvenile 

stages ranged in length from 68 to 

88 mm TL for sea catfish and 80 to 

100 rm TL for gafftopsail catfish. 

Harvey (1972) col lected yo1 k-sac larvae 

from adult sea catfish in salinities 

from 8.33 to 12.78 ppt but not at 

higher sal inities. 

Larvae 

Jones et al. (1978) do not 

consider a larval stage to exist since 

a1 1 juveni 1 e morphol ogical features are 

visible prior to yo1 k absorption. 
Juveniles and Adul ts Adults 

A1 1 adult characteristics are 

visible at yolk absorption but 

juveniles remain in or return to their 

parents' mouths for protection for a 

short time. Harvey (1972) found 

juveniles in mouths of male sea catfish in waters of 16.66 to 28.32 ppt. 

He stated that older juveniles were 

able to successful ly osmoregulate in 

higher salinities. Merriman (1940) 

reported that juveniles of both 

species fed heavily on planktonic 

crustacea either inside or outside 

parents' mouths. Feed'I.ng by males 

carrying eggs or juveniles has not 

been documented. 

Benson (1982) reported that sea 

catfish juveniles remain in low 

salinity estuarine areas within the 

Mississippi Sound. Gunter (1938) 

reported juvenile gafftopsail catfish 

abundance in trawl samples peaked 

during August in Barataria Bay, 

Louisiana, and during September in 

offshore gulf waters. Gafftopsail 

catfish left Barataria Bay from 

November to January, returning in May 

and June prior to spawning. Juvenile 

sea catfish were rarely taken by beach 

seining a1 though regularly caught by 

offshore trawl ing (Reid 1957; Pristas 

and Trent 1978). Trawl surveys in 

estuarine waters of Alabama (Swingle 

1971), Mississippi (Franks et al. 

1972), Louisiana (Perret et al. 1971; 

Tarver and Savoie 1976; Barrett et al. 

1978), and Texas (Reid 1957; Hoese et 

al. 1968; Gallaway and Strawn 1975) 

revealed 10 to 100 times fewer juvenile gafftopsail catfish caught than 

juvenile sea catfish. Juvenile gafftopsail catfish were reported as 

preferring water temperatures from 16" 

to 30°C (61" to 86°F) while salinities 

varied from 0 to 31 ppt. Juneau 

(1975) reported juvenile gafftopsail 

catfish in Vermilion Bay, Louisiana, 

mostly during summer and fall months 

with water temperatures rangf ng from 

20.4" to 30.5"C (69" to 87°F). 

Sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish distribution and abundance in gulf 

coastal and estuarine waters have been 

related to spawning activities as well 

as to water temperatures and 

sal ini ties. Studies along southern 

Florida (Pristas and Trent 1978), 

northern Florida (Zil berberg 1966), 

Alabama (Swingle and Bland 1974; 

Swingle . 1971), Mississippi Sound and 

Lake Pontchartrain Estuarine Complex 

(Franks et al. 1972; Rounsefell 1964; 

Jackson 1972; Tarver and Savoie 1976), 

Louisiana coast (Perret et al. 1971; 

Barrett et al. 1978; Adkins et al. 

1979), and Texas coast (Gunter 1945; 

He1 1 ier 1962; Hoese et a1 . 1968; Moore 

et al. 1970; Landry and Strawn 1973) 

indicated sea catfish and gafftopsail 

catfish were sampled or observed 

seasonally in greater numbers inshore 

at higher temperatures (>20°C or 68°F) 

and salinities ($20 ppt). Adult sea 

catfish avoided lower water temperatures by migrating offshore in winter 

and returning inshore in the spring. 

Exceptions were reported by Landry 

and Strawn (1973) at warmwater discharges and by Swingle (1971) for adult 

sea catfish concentrated in the deep 

Mobile Ship Channel in Alabama. Adult 

sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish 

remained year-round in southern Florida 

inshore waters (Gunter and Hall 1965; 

Tabb and Manning 1961; Roessler 1970). 

Water temperature appears to be the 

major stimul~s, along with salinity, 

control 1 ing sea catfish and gafftopsail 

catfish seasonal distributions. 

Industrial fisheries trawl catches of 

sea catfishes in Alabama, Mississippi, 

and Louisiana inshore waters (Haskell 

1961) as well as shrimp trawling along 

the Atlantic Ocean coastal waters of 

South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida 

(Anderson 1968) were lower in winter 

months. Catches were lowest during May 

in Atlantic Ocean offshore areas off 

eastern Fl orida. Roi thmayr (1965) 

reported increased winter catches of 
TL in July to 95 mm TL in May of the sea catfish in the 13- to 43-11 (43- next year. Length frequency data of 

to 157-ft) offshore Gulf of Mexic0 gafftopsail catfish showed growth from 

industrial fishery. McClane (1965) a mode of 75 mm TL in July to 127 m 

stated that in November, Sea catfish TL (range: 95 to 167 mm TL) in 

and gafftopsail catfish migrate from September. 

bays and estuaries to the shallow open " 

ocean. They return inshore in 

February. COMMERCI AL/SPORT FISHERY 

Adult sea catfish sometimes 

school (Gunter 1938; Jones et al. 

1978) as do gafftopsail catfish 

(Gudger 1916). Tavol ga (1962) re1 ated 

different sounds of sea catfish and 

gafftopsail catfish to their nocturnal 

school ing behaviors, but found 

distress sounds were similar for both 

species. Tavol ga (1977) further 

identified and demonstrated acoustical 

orientation by sea catfish. 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 

Gallaway and Strawn (1974) 

reported juvenile sea catfish in 

Gal veston Bay, Texas, grew from 40 to 

44 mn SL in July 1968 to 93 mn in 

October before leaving the bay for the 

gulf, where 1 i ttl e winter growth 

occurred. The 1967 year class (Age I) 

reached 111 to 130 mm SL by September 

1968. Gunter and Hal 1 (1963) reported 

Age 0 sea catfish in southwestern 

Florida grew to 118 to 133 mm TL while 

Age I juveniles grew to 193 mm TL. 

Topp (1963) reported a 345-mm TL sea 

catfish recaptured 445 days after 

tagging showed a 2-mm decrease in 

forked length (FL). 

Benson (1982) stated that life 

expectancy of sea catfish was only 2 

years with a maximum life span of 

about 5 years. Doermann et al. (1977) 

found from aged pectoral spines of 177 

sea catfish collected near Ocean 

Springs, Plississippi, that 17.1- to 

35.5-cm fish lived 3 to 8 growing 

seasons. Swingle (1971) reported at 

least three sea catfish age classes 

in Alabama inshore waters in 1968- 

1969. Length frequency data for Age 0 

sea catfish revealed growth from 47 mm 

Sea catfish commercial landings 

include both sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish. Gulf of Mexico commercial landings of "sea catfish" 

plotted by States for 1959 through 1967 

indicated 2-year trends with wide 

fluctuations (U.S. Department of 

Commerce 1959-1967). Fl orida 1 anded 

257 metric tons (mt) of catfish in 

1960, dropped to 54 mt in 1962, and 

averaged 105 mt over the 9 years. Sea 

catfish landing statistics for Louisiana averaged 33 mt over the 9 years. 

Two-year peak catches did not occur in 

the same years as in Florida. Sea 

catfish landings averaged 22 mt for 

Mississippi and 25 mt for Texas. The 

average value of the catch was about 6 

to 9 cents per pound over the 9-year 

period. Commercial fisheries catch 

data probably underestimate the true 

catches since several references 

(Gudger 1916; Topp 1963; Roi thmayr 

1965; Dunham 1972; Ragan et al. 1978) 

indicate that commercial fishermen 

consider sea catfish a nuisance and 

discard them. Industrial bottomfish 

trawl fisheries along the northern Gulf 

of Mexico coastal areas from west 

Florida to Ship Shoals, Louisiana, 

probably take the largest catches of 

sea and gafftopsail catfishes, especial ly around the Mississippi River 

Del ta. Sampl es of commercial 

industrial landings in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico indicated that 

sea catfish made up 1% to 3% of the 

catch from 1959 to 1963 (Roithmayr 

1965) and 3% of the catch from 1970 to 

1972 (Dunham 1972). Industrial bottomfish landings increased in Florida, 

Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas for 

the period 1959 through 1967. Large 

quantities of sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish taken in the industrial 
bottom trawl fisheries of Florida, 

Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas 

(Roithmayr 1965; Dunham 1972; Ragan et 

al. 1978) rnay be culled prior to 

1 anding or during unloading. 

Although the sea catfish and 

gafftopsail catfish general ly are not 

regarded as favored food or s~ort fish 

by- the general public, ~c~lane's 

Standard Fishing Encyclopedia (1965) 

listed sea catfish as "edible" and 

saffto~sail catfish as "a qood food 

f i sh. "' Many sal twater angl Cr surveys 

(Tabb and Manning 1961; Jackson 1972; 

Landry and Strawn 1973; Wade 1977) 

suggested anglers di scard both 

species, especial ly sea catfish, as 

nuisance fish. Therefore, angler 

surveys general ly underestimate abundances, catch rates, and probably 

harvest of both species. A 1965 

sal twater angler survey (Deuel and 

Cl ark 1968) reported catfishes ranked 

second, making up 9% of all saltwater 

fishes caught from the Florida west 

coast to the Mississippi River. From 

the Mississippi River to Texas, catfish ranked sixth, making up 3% of 

saltwater fish caught. Onsite harvest 

surveys of anglers found sea and 

gafftopsail catfish ranked third and 

constituted 20% of the catch in 

southern Florida (Tabb and Manning 

1961), ranked 13th and constituted 2% 

of the catch in Alabama (Wade 1977), 

ranked third and constituted 3% of the 

catch in Mississippi Sound (Jackson 

1972), and ranked second and constituted 31% of the catch in a Galveston 

Bay, Texas, hot-water discharge 

(Landry and Strawn 1973). Juneau and 

Pol lard (1981) reported sea catfish 

ranked third (10%) and gafftopsail 

catfish ranked ninth (1%) in a 2-year 

recreation angl ing survey in Vermil ion 

Bay, Louisiana. Sea catfish are 

usually more abundant than gafftopsail 

catfish along the northern Gulf of 

Mexico coast and both species are most 

abundant off Louisiana. 

Analyses from a 1960 oxygen 

depletion die-off in southern Florida 

(Tabb and Manning 1961) revealed a 10 

to 1 ratio of sea to gafftopsail catfish. Trawl sampling revealed an 80 to 

1 sea catfish to gafftopsail catfish 

ratio in Alabama coastal waterways 

(Swingle and Bland 1974); a 100 to 1 

ratio in Mississippi Sound (Franks et 

al. 1972); a 5 to 1, or greater, ratio 

in the Lake Borgne area (Rounsefell 

1964; Tarver and Savoie 1976); but 

ratios .approached 2 to 1 in southwestern Louisiana inshore waters 

(Perret et al. 1971; Juneau 1975; 

Barrett et al. 1978; Perret and 

C a i l l o u e t 1974). Abundances of sea 

catfish and gafftopsail catfish 

reportedly decreased in trawl samples 

from 5% in Louisiana to 2% along the 

Texas coast (Moore et al. 1970), but 

Bechtel and Copeland (1970) found sea 

catfish to be the most abundant fish 

during the fall in most areas of 

Galveston Bay, Texas. Landry and 

Strawn (1973) found sea catfish made up 

31% of the sport catch in Galveston 

Bay, and outnumbered gafftopsail catfish 82 to 1. Diener (1973) found sea 

catfish to be the fifth most abundant 

fish in trawling samples in the tidal 

Colorado River, Texas, from February to 

June 1962 and 100 times more numerous 

than gafftopsail catfish. Breuer 

(1962) reported sea catfish common 

around Port Isabel, Texas, whereas 

gafftopsail catfish were not common. 

Incidental catches of fishes in 89 

menhaden purse seine sets along the 

Mississippi-Louisiana coast in 1958-59 

(Christmas et al. 1960) revealed equal 

numbers of sea catfish and gafftopsail 

catfish and each ranked fifth in abundance. Observers noted gafftopsail 

catfish in twice as many sets, but 

possible prior removal by fishermen of 

gafftopsail catfish for food during 

landings probably reduced their numbers 

in deck counts. 

Exploratory trawl sampl ing and 

sal twater angler surveys suggest that 

sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish 

were abundant in estuarine and nearshore regions from Alabama to east 
Texas (Hellier 1962; Moore et a1 . 1970; Ragan et al. 1978; Barrett et 

al. 1978). Moore et al. (1970) 

indicated that sea catfish averaged 5% 

of the total weight of 1962-64 

exploratory trawl catches a1 ong the 

Louisiana coast and 2% of the catch 

along the Texas coast. In the spring, 

sea catfish increased to 10% of inshore (7 to 14 m or 23 to 46 ft depth) 

catches but decreased to a small 

percentage of winter catches. They 

did not find that either catfish 

contributed over 5% by weight in any 

season at depths greater than 14 m 

(46 ft). Perret et al. (1971) 

reported sea catfish made up 2.5% of 

the fishes in trawl catches alorlg the 

Loui siana coast, and outnumbered 

gafftopsail catfish 2 to 1. Both 

species were most abundant around 

Grand Isle, Louisiana. Ragawet al. 

(1978) reported greater percentages of 

sea catfish in catches on Louisiana 

western shel f waters (88" to 93" 

longitude) at depths to 18 m (59 ft). 

Sea catfish abundance on the eastern 

shelf inner zone reached 37% (first 

ranked) in the summer, but dropped to 

8% in the winter, averaging 24% 

over a1 1 seasons. Abundance never 

reached 5% in depths 24 to 100 m (79 

to 328 ft). Sea catfish seasonal and 

depth distribution patterns were 

similar on the western Louisiana shelf 

area. Ragan et al. (1978) calculated 

the abundance of sea catfish in all 

zones and areas as 10% of catches. 

The high numbers of sea catfish in the 

western shel f and small er populations 

of Atlantic croakers limit industrial 

bottom fishing west of Ship Shoals, 

Louisiana. Benson (1982) stated that 

catfish spine regurgitation by pets 

adversely affects consumer reaction to 

catfish uses in the pet food industry. 

Commercial fishermen found catfish to 

cause problems because of entanglement 

in nets and pump hoses (Benson 1982). 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

Sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish, as opportunistic feeders over 

mud and submerged sand flats (Gudger 

1916), maintain relatively high abundance in most' northern Gulf of Mexico 

estuarine and inshore areas. Diets of 

gafftopsail and sea catfish are similar 

(Merriman 1940). A1 gae, sea grasses, 

coel entrates, holothurians, gastropods, 

polychaetes, crustaceans (shrimp, 

crabs), and fishes were common items in 

stomachs of both species. Large fish 

scales and human garbage in some 

stomachs indicated scavenging in both 

species (Merriman 1940). Several 

authors (Gudger 1916; Gunter 1945; 

Darnel 1 1961; McCl ane 1965; Gal laway 

and Strawn 1974) indicated blue crabs 

were a principal food item of sea and 

gafftopsail catfishes. Gal 1 away and 

Strawn (1974) reported that sea catfish 

concentrated at a hot-water discharge 

to feed on discharged impinged prey 

organisms and small blue crabs when the 

water temperature remained be1 ow 38°C. 

After finding that 50% of the sea 

catfish caught in a stationary wing-net 

in a 4-hour evening period contained 

juvenile and sub-adul t brown shrimp, 

Harris and Rose (1968) expressed concern over the possible impact by this 

fish on commercially important shrimp 

populations. However, they recognized 

that- net capture of shrimp and sea 

catfish could a1 ter predation estimates 

from those in open waters. Ward (1957) 

reported sea catfish concentrating near 

a shrimp cannery at Biloxi Bay, Mississippi. 

Juvenile sea catfish have been 

reported to feed on microcrustaceans 

while still being carried in males' 

mouths (Merriman 1940). Darnel 1 (1961) 

reported that larger juvenile sea 

catfish stomachs contained 56% organic 

detritus, 26% microinvertebrates, and 

16% larger invertebrates. He found 

adult sea catfish eat 44% organic 

detritus, 34% 1 arge invertebrates, and 

21% microinvertebrates. Reid et al. 

(1956) reported organic debris, crabs, 

menhaden, and worm eels in stomachs of 

four gafftopsail catfish 235 to 298 mm 

(9.2 to 11.7 inches) long from East 

Bay, Galveston, Texas. Merriman (1940) 
speculated that fishes found in sea 

and gafftopsail catfish stomachs may 

have been picked up from fishennen 

discards. Hoese (1966) observed 

lepidophogy, or scale feeding, as we1 1 

as sea catfish attacking fins of other 

fishes. 

Fuel oil at concentrations of 

0.02 ml/l water did not affect feeding 

behavior of sea catfish, but 0.08 ml/l 

water caused sea catfish to regurgitate consumed foods and lose mucus 

layers in stomachs (Wang and Nicol 

1977). Sea catfish heart rates slowed 

at 0.01 ml fuel oil/l water and the 

lethal concentration for 50% of the 

fish tested for 96 hours was 0.14 ml 

fuel oil/l water. 

Sea catfish have been reported as 

prey for longnose gar (Darnel1 1961). 

Dugas (1975) captured twice as many 

sea catfish at night than during the 

day by trawl and stated that they are 

1 argely scavengers. Fishermen use 

live sea catfish as bait for large 

cobia at oil rigs off the Louisiana 

coast. 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Temperature 

Adul t sea catfish prefer water 

temperatures' above 25°C (77°F) (Jones 

et al. 1978), but avoid waters over 

37°C (99°F) (Landry and Strawn 1973; 

Gallaway and Strawn 1974). Sea catfish were collected from 38" to 39°C 

(100" to 102°F) effluent but some fish 

were observed in apparent thermal 

shock (Gallaway and Strawn 1974). Sea 

catfish leave inshore areas for deeper 

channel s (Swingle 1971) or offshore 

areas when water temperatures drop 

below 5" to 6°C (41 to 43°F) (Perret 

et a1 . 1971; Juneau 1975). Barrett et 

al. (1978) found that the sea catfish 

trawl catch along the Louisiana coast 

was re1 a ted to water te~nperatu res 

between 10" and 20°C (50" to 68°F). 

Juvenile and adult gafftopsail 

catfish prefer water temperatures 25°C 

(77°F) and higher (Perret et al. 1971; 

Juneau 1975). Barrett et al. (1978) 

found gafftopsail catfish to be absent 

from 16-ft exploratory trawl ing samples 

at temperatures below 16.6"C (62°F) and 

Perret et al. (1971) caught only one 

specimen at a temperature below 20°C 

(68°F). Comparatively, a catch of 

2,227 gafftopsail catfish was taken 

from 20" to 34.9"C (68" to 95°F) water. 

Sal ini ty 

Adul t sea catfish have been 

captured from waters with sal ini ties 

ranging from 0 to 40 ppt (Jones et al. 

1978). Harvey (1972) reported yo1 k-sac 

larvae found in the mouth of males in 

water salinities 8.3 to 12.8 ppt; 

juveniles were collected in 16.7 to 

28.3 ppt salinities. Gunter and Hall 

(1965) found juveniles in water with 

0.1 ppt sal i ni ty. Juveni 1 es are 

reported to be more numerous than 

adults in low salinity waters (Swingle 

and Bland 1974; Kelley 1965; Tarver and 

Savoie 1976; Jones et al. 1978). 

Perret et a1 . (1971) captured the most 

sea catfish at salinities 10 ppt or 

higher. Gunter (1945) col 1 ected sea 

catfish at salinity ranges of 2 to 36.7 

ppt, but the greatest abundance 

occurred above 30 ppt. 

Adult gafftopsail catfish have 

been recorded from freshwater, but are 

more abundant in salinities of 5 to 30 

ppt (Perret et al. 1971; Jones et al. 

1978). Juvenile gafftopsail catfish 

have been collected in salinities of 

0.2 ppt (Gunter and Hal 1 1965), 2.5 ppt 

(Kelley 1965), 3.3 ppt (Tarver and 

Savoie 1976), up to 25 ppt (Swingle and 

Bland 1974), and 33 ppt (gulf sal ini ty) 

when juvenil es leave A1 abama bays 
(Swingle 1971) and Texas bays (Gunter 

1945). 

Di ssol ved Oxygen 

Benson (1982) cited Adkins and 

Boman (1976) as collecting sea catfish from closed canals with low 

oxygen concentrations. Tabb and 

Manning (1961) reported sea and gafftopsail catfish killed by total oxygen 

depletion in two Florida bays 

following Hurricane Donna in 1960. 

Parental care of sea and gafftopsail 

catfish eggs would reduce the potential impacts of reduced oxygen levels 

and sediments. 

Substrate 

Reid (1957), Ragan et a1 . (1978), 

and Shipp (1981) reported sea catfish 

abundance higher in areas with high 

organic substrates. Darnel 1 (1961) 

and Reid et al. (1956) reported sea 

catfish and gafftopsail catfish 

stomachs to contain quantities of 

organic detritus along with invertebrates associated wi th organic substrate. Artificial food sources from 

seafood processing plants and 

associated docking facilities as we1 1 

as warmwater di scharges containing 

impinged organisms can create 

localized sea and gafftopsail catfish 

concentrations independent o f 

substrate. 

Depth 

Depth preferences of sea catfish 

and gafftopsail catfish appear to be 

related to water temperatures and 

bottom composition. Both species 

begin moving offshore or into warmer 

waters associated with deep channels 

(Swingle 1971) . as water temperatures 

drop below 10" to 15°C (50" to 59°F) 

in late fall only to return in sprirlg 

when temperatures rise above these 

levels. Higher abundances in shallow 

(<20 m) inshore coastal areas and 

estuaries appear related to organic 

substrate and associated invertebrate 

food sources. The low frequency of 

catfish in small seine samples suggests 

they do not commonly occur in shoreline 

beach habitats (Reid 1957; Perret et 

al. 1971; Juneau 1975; Tarver and 

Savoie 1976). 

Water Movement 

Reid (1957) indicated sea catfish 

concentrated near Rollover Pass, Texas, 

where restricted tidal flow created a 

"jet-effect" to faunistical ly rich 

waters. Landry and Strawn (1973) 

reported both ari id catfishes were able 

to remain and feed in waters above 34°C 

(93°F) at power generating plant discharge rates of 48 m3/s (1695 ft3/s) 

when most other estuarine fish had 

moved farther away into Galveston Bay, 

Texas. Water movements appear to be 

used by ariid catfishes to locate and 

obtain prey. Spawning and oral gestation occurred in shallower bay areas 

where water movements are reduced. 

Juvenil es, independent of parents, tend 

to be found in quiet water bays 

(Swingle and Bland 1974). 

Turbidity 

Platania and Ross (1980) reported 

sea catfish to be found in turbid, 

shal low, coastal waters with sand or 

mud substrate. References cited in 

Life History and Fishery Sections 

ill ustrated preference for inshore 

muddy or sandy bottoms of high organic 

content. Gudger (1916) collected 

gafftopsail catfish from turbid waters 

at Beaufort, North Carolina, and he 

suggested that tactile barbels enabled 

these fish to quickly locate food 

items. Tavolga (1962, 1971, 1977) 

demonstrated that sounds produced by 

sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish 

could enable catfish to avoid obstructions, and probably predators, at close 

range. Sounds may also enable catfish 

to communicate with each other during 

breeding and nocturnal school i ng. Sea 
catfish produce "percolator" choruses 

from 1700 to 2250 during April through 

October. A summer lull occurs in July 

and August when light intensity falls 

below 1900 fc (Breder 1968). Sound 

orientation and communication, along 

with highly developed 01 factory senses, 

would be especially useful in turbid 

waters . 

Hoese et al. (1968) reported 

that general ly high nocturnal trawl 

catches of sea and gafftopsail catfishes dropped off in August 1964 

because of high turbidity and possible 

changes in fjsh sizes. Landry and 

Strawn's (1973) Texas creel census data 

show sea catfish catch rates increased 

in March 1969 even though catch rates 

for the five other major species 

decreased because of rough, murky 

waters . Gunter (1947) col 1 ected 

breeding sea catfish from rapidly 

rising, turbid waters in a 0.6- to 3-rn 

(2- to 10-ft) deep pass in Copano Bay, 

Texas . 
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134. 
10272 -101 

REPORT DOCUMENTATION .';'EmRT NO. 1 3. Recipient's Accers~on NO 

PAGE 1 FWSIOBS-82/11.5 * I 

9. Pcrlonning Organization Name and Address 

Mississi~~i Cooperative Fish and Wild1 ife Research Unit 

. . I I I 

4. Title and Subtltlc I 5. Repon Date 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements I October 1983 

142 orm mail Hall' 

Mississippi State University 

Mississippi State, MS 39762 

3f Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (Gulf of Mexico) -- Sea Catfish 

ind Gafftopsail Catfish - 7. Author(s) 

Robert J. Muncy and William M. Wingo - I 

10. Pro,ect/Task/Work Unit No. 

, 

8. Pedormtng Organizatmon Rept. NO 

*U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report No. TR EL-82-4 

12. Swnsoring Organization Name and Address 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Fish and Wildlife Service Waterways Experiment Station 

U.S. Department of the Interior P.O. Box 631 

Washington, DC 20240 Vicksburg, MS 39180 

16. Abstract (Limit: ZW words) 

Species profiles are literature summaries of the taxonomy, morphology, range, life history, 

and environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are designed to assist in 

environmental impact assessment. Sea catfish and gafftopsail catfish are n o t - p r e f e r r e d s p o r t 

nor commercial fish; however, their high abundance inshore along the northern Gulf of Mexico 

causes them to rank 2nd or 3rd and no lower than 13th of all saltwater finfish in angler 

surveys. Sea catfish comprised less than 2% in industrial bottom trawl fisheries although 

surveys in depths to 20 m revealed they comprised 2% to 36%, by weight, of the bottom fishes. 

Sea catfish attain sexual maturity before 2 years of age, and spawn from May to August in 

shallow bays. Adult males do not feed for 60 to 80 days while carrying fertilized eggs and 

sac-fry in their mouths. Juveniles remain in low-salinity estuaries until decreasing water 

temperatures cause movements into deeper channels and offshore waters. Adult fish prefer 

water temperatures above 250C but remain inshore at temperatures above 10oC. Sea catfish 

and gafftopsail catfish have been collected from waters with salinities ranging from 0 to 

30 ppt, but prefer water salinities above 10 ppt. Water depth preferences of sea catfish 

and gafftopsail catfish appear related to water temperature, salinity, and bottom substrate. 

As juveniles, both species are opportunistic feeders utilizing microcrustaceans, and as 

adults, they feed upon detritus, microcrustaceans, and larger invertebrates. Blue crabs and 

shrimp are considered major food items. 

13. Type of Repen B Period Covered 

14. 

L7. Document Analysis a. Descriptors 

Estuaries 

Fi shes 

Growth 

Feeding 

15. Supplementary Notes 

b. ldentlf@en/Open-Ended Terms 

Sea catfish Salinity requirements 

-- Arius felis Temperature requirements 

Gafftopsail catfish Habitat requirements 

Barge marinus Life history 

c COSATI Fleld/Group 

8. Avanlab8lrty Statement , 19 Security Class (This Report' 1 21 NO of pager 

Unl imi ted , Unwsified 17 -- 

20 Security Class (This Page) ' 22 Price 

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