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No federal permit to keepTete sea catfish
Ariopsis seemanni
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The Tete sea catfish (Ariopsis seemanni) or Colombian shark catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae, native to Pacific-draining rivers and estuaries in Central and South America.
Intro from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 72 in long and 36 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 17.5 in / 44.4 cm).
- Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
- Temperature: 72–79°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6.8–8.
- Hardness: 8–30 dGH.
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Safety: Can injure people (sharp spines, teeth or electric shock): use nets and care when working in the tank.
- Availability: Mostly kept by public aquariums; private keeping is uncommon.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 94 × 24 in (roughly 228 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 72–79 °F, pH 6.8–8.5, 10–30 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “It needs plenty of open swimming space to allow it to cruise around.”
- Diet: “Young specimens will take bloodworm and other small meaty foods, while larger fish appreciate earthworms, mussel, prawn and sinking tablets.”
- Tankmates: “It won't attack anything too large to be considered food, making it a good choice for the larger brackish tank.”
- Breeding: “It's a paternal mouthbrooder, but has probably not bred in the hobby due to difficulties replicating its natural reproductive behaviour.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Sea catfish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: The listed species inhabit coastal and estuarine waters: Ariopsis seemanni uses Pacific American river mouths, while Galeichthys feliceps shoals over muddy southern African coastal bottoms (seemanni; feliceps). Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- A. seemanni minimum footprint: 240 × 60 cm (94.5 × 23.6 inches) (seemanni).
- Provide open swimming space, sand and roots (seemanni).
- Provide oxygenation and flow (seemanni).
- Raise A. seemanni salinity with marine salt as it grows: suggested brackish specific gravity 1.005; adults also tolerate full marine water (seemanni).
- Plan G. feliceps accommodation separately for a shoaling marine/brackish fish reaching 55 cm; no captive minimum is given (feliceps).
Diet
- Prawn and other crustaceans (seemanni; feliceps).
- Mussel flesh for A. seemanni (seemanni).
- Sinking prepared tablets accepted by A. seemanni after acclimation (seemanni).
- Small fish as part of the natural diet of G. feliceps (feliceps).
Social life
- Group A. seemanni; G. feliceps naturally shoals. Avoid prey-sized companions (seemanni; feliceps).
Handling
- Avoid spine contact during transfers (seemanni; feliceps).
Health watch
- Failure to thrive when larger A. seemanni are maintained exclusively in freshwater (seemanni).
- Ammonia/nitrite toxicity (fish_vet).
- Introduced external parasites (fish_vet).
Understanding the animal
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater and brackish water and the sea, in rivers and streams. Stays near the bottom. Common in coastal marine and brackish waters. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater / brackish water / marine, 72–79 °F (22–26 °C), pH 6.8–8, hardness 8–30 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: external brooders. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–79 °F.
- It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 88°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 69°F (down to 62°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 75–80°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 78–86% on average (driest month about 76%) |
| Rainfall | about 2270 mm a year |
Measured at 43 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The Tete sea catfish (Ariopsis seemanni) or Colombian shark catfish is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae, native to Pacific-draining rivers and estuaries in Central and South America. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Biology | Common in coastal marine and brackish waters. Inhabits medium and large rivers to an elevation of at least 25 m. Marketed fresh or salted. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 94 × 24 in (about 228 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish — Ariopsis seemanni Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- FishBase — Galeichthys feliceps Peer-reviewed researchAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Management of Aquarium Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.