Marine catfish have long been a feature of Singapore's aquatic ecosystem, yet they remain one of the least understood groups of fishes in the region. While familiar to many recreational and artisanal fishing communities in Singapore, their ecological role, species diversity, population and health status in Singapore is poorly documented. Historical records show that marine catfish were already reconised in Singapore waters during the colonial era as early as 1850 by Cantor. E

Marine Catfish are common not only in Singapore waters, but all tropical to sub-tropical waters in the world. It is easy to identify a catfish with its long whiskers, known as barbels, but often even experienced fishers often struggle to differentiate various marine catfish species from one another. Marine catfish belong to the order Silurifomes which house all 41 families of catfish; of which only two are found in marine environments: Ariidae and Plotosidae. Identification b