第 1230 號，共 1 402 號

Hardhead catfish

Ariopsis felis

名字的由來： Its common name comes from a hard, bony plate on its head, which runs from between the eyes back towards the dorsal fin.1

只是會痛不要碰會痛，但不會對你造成嚴重傷害。

有毒液的魚

有毒液的棘刺吃：每樣都來一點

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

The hardhead catfish is a sea catfish that lives in shallow coastal waters of the northwest Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. It has sharp spines on its fins that can be venomous, so it is one to admire from a distance. Male hardhead catfish also carry their eggs in their mouths until they hatch.1

分布在

Northwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, from the southeast coast of the United States around the Florida Keys to the Gulf coast1

大西洋, 墨西哥灣, 加勒比海

首頁

It is found mostly in near-shore ocean waters, and also in brackish estuaries and river mouths with sandy or muddy bottoms. It only occasionally enters fresh water. In winter it moves from shallower to deeper water.1

長度

25 cm 到 70 cm (9,8 in 到 2,3 ft)1

體重

5,5 kg (12 lb)1

最高速度

大約 6 km/h（3,7 mph）

游泳, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats a wide range of food, including algae, seagrasses, crabs, shrimp, sea cucumbers, worms and small fish. It hunts on mud and sand flats, using its barbels to find prey in murky water. Younger fish eat small crustaceans, while adults mainly eat larger fish.1

Hardhead catfish 的照片 — Hardhead catfish。照片：Edgar R. Waite。 Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

Often dirty grey on top with white underneath.1
Four barbels (whisker-like feelers) under the chin and two more at the corners of the mouth.1
A hard, bony plate between the eyes and the dorsal fin.1
Sharp, barbed, slime-covered spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. The dorsal spine stands upright when the fish is excited.1
Typically 25 to 30 cm long, and elongated in shape.1

常被誤認為： The gafftopsail catfish looks very similar. The difference is that its dorsal and pectoral spines have a fleshy extension, like the fore-and-aft topsail of a ship.1

毒液力量

有毒液的棘刺

尖銳的棘刺帶著毒液。踩到或抓到牠都會很痛。

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 疼痛可能會非常痛，但幾乎從來不會很嚴重。

No bite or death figures are given. Anglers generally avoid catching it because of the risk from handling the fish and its spines, and because its flesh tastes fishy compared with popular game fish.1

牠害怕時會做什麼？

When it feels threatened or excited, its dorsal spine stands upright, and its sharp, slime-covered spines are its main defence.1

如果牠的棘刺刺到你

把傷口泡在熱水裡，水溫要在傷者能忍受、又不會燙傷的範圍內（先用你自己的手試水溫），泡 30 到 90 分鐘。要就醫，特別是被石頭魚和魟魚刺傷時。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠的棘刺刺到：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲大西洋加勒比海墨西哥灣

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

牠有多重？

跟 1,5 隻家貓一樣重

跟 4 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長大約跟一隻家貓一樣重可以在 30 秒內游完一座大游泳池（50 公尺）

Hardhead catfish 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一個正在游泳的人 大約 3 km/h (1,9 mph)

Hardhead catfish 大約 6 km/h (3,7 mph)

奧運游泳選手 大約 8 km/h (5 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Male hardhead catfish are paternal mouthbrooders: they keep the eggs and young in their mouths, and do not feed while doing so.1

Some researchers suggest they may use low-frequency sounds to detect and avoid close obstacles, which is an unusual ability for a fish.1

They can make sounds by vibrating thin bones near the swim bladder, and by grinding their throat teeth or rubbing their pectoral spines. These sounds appear to be a fright response.1

Hardhead catfish respond to chemical alarm signals released by injured members of their own species, with their activity increasing right after the signal. They are the first marine catfish found to show this type of alarm reaction.1

They can live for over 24 years.1

給毒液專家

學名: Ariopsis felis
類群: 有毒液的魚
家人: Ariidae2
排序: Siluriformes
各大洲: 大西洋, 墨西哥灣, 加勒比海, 海洋
寶寶: The male carries the eggs in his mouth until they hatch, which takes roughly 8 to 11 weeks in total. Females have 20 to 65 eggs per spawning.1
壽命: 大約 24 年1
對人的危險: 2 / 5: 疼痛3