Habitat: Inhabits
coastal waters, from estuaries onto the continental
shelf. Found mostly on mudflats; males incubate eggs
in its mouth. Has a sharp and venomous dorsal and
pectoral spines that can inflict extremely painful
injuries. Marine; freshwater and brackish. An important
food fish. Description: Dorsal spines
(total): 1; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 17 - 21;
Vertebrae: 53 - 58. Dorsomedian head groove bordered
posteriorly by slightly raised frontals and forming
a "V". Gill rakers usually absent on hind
aspect of first 2 gill arches. Caudal fin lobes slender
and tapered. Adipose fin short-based and located posteriorly.
Diet: Mainly opportunistic and carnivorous;
feeding on sea urchins, crustaceans, fish, prawns,
loose scales, and detritus. Etymology:
The genus name Netuma: a Tamil word that
means "dance". The specific name bilineata:
is named 'bilineata' for two lines (on body).
Indo-West
Pacific: Persian Gulf to the Indo-Malayan
region, northern Australia, Queensland, and north
to southern Japan. Type locality:
Pondichéry ... Rangoon.
Size:
62.0cm. (24¾ins)
Temp:
-
p.H.
-
Reference:
Ferraris, C.J. Jr.,
2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes:
Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary
types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors.
2019. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, ( 12/2019 ). Kailola, P.J., 1999. Ariidae (=Tachysuridae):
sea catfishes (fork-tailed catfishes). p. 1827-1879.
In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO species
identification guide for fishery purposes. The living
marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol.
3. Batoid fishes, chimaeras and bony fishes part 1
(Elopidae to Linophrynidae). FAO, Rome. Netuma bilineata in Fishes of Australia,
accessed 04 Sep 2020. Fishes
of Australia
If you would like to contribute to the monthly
factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail
me. You will of course be credited for your work.
If you would like to donate any denomination
of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds
will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few
years yet.