Striped eel catfish are nature’s copy paste, paste, paste, paste
Bec Crew
Bec Crew
FOUND IN THE Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean, and occasionally the freshwaters in East Africa and Madagascar, striped eel catfish have a wide range throughout the temperate waters off the north, east, and west coasts of Australia.
A member of the eeltail catfish family (Plotosidae), the striped eel catfish can grow to more than 30 cm long. And it’s not just the species’ elongated, slender body that gives it the appearance of an eel. Other than its first dorsal (top) fin, its second dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are fused into one, so it looks just like an eel’s tail.
When a striped eel catfish is still young, it will take to extreme schooling, forming groups of up to 100 individuals that move through the ocean as one.
The way striped eel catfish move in perfect unison within a tightly packed shoal serves to confuse potential predators that might be looking for a single prey animal to pursue. Known as the ‘oddity effect’, the idea is to avoid becoming the odd one out.
Here they are in action:
When these fish grow older, they don’t tend to school nearly as much, because they’ve got an even better defence mechanism: venom.
The first dorsal fin and each of the pectoral (side) fins are equipped with highly venomous spines, which can inflict a nasty wound if you get too close.
While the juveniles wield a mild version of the venom, which will make your fingers tingle if you touch them (not recommended), a scrape from an adult striped eel catfish can actually be fatal, especially if you’re attacked multiple times.
Despite their intimidating venom, striped eel catfish prefer to keep themselves hidden, and there’s nothing they like better than a conveniently placed terracotta pipe.
Look how happy they are!
