All FishesAriidaeAriinaeNeoarius  |  | 

Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Neoarius graeffei  (Kner & Steindachner, 1867)
Common Names Australian Shark Catfish
Blue Salmon-catfish, BlÄ Havmalle (Denmark), Blue Catfish, Lesser Salmon Catfish
Type Locality Samoa [doubtful].
Synonym(s) Ariopsis graeffei, Arius australis, Arius australis, Arius curtisii, Arius curtisii, Arius graeffei, Hexanematichthys australis
Pronunciation Nee oh ar ee uss. - GRAY fie.
Etymology Neo, new (newly discovered) and arius from the Greek arios, meaning warlike or bellicose; in reference to the well-developed fin spines. The species is named after E. Gräffe.
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 600mm or 23.6" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Similar to A. berneyi, but eye is smaller and dorsal fin slightly shorter. Outer palatal teeth patches larger than inner patches (equal in A. berneyi). Dusky grey overall (often with bluish tinge) and white underneath.
Sexing Females have longer, more rounded pelvic fins than males.
General Remarks Naturally piebald and albino specimens have been observed.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Western Pacific: northern Australia and southern New Guinea.
Pacific, South Pacific, New Guinea Pacific area (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Pacific, South Pacific, North Australian Pacific Coast (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Australia waters, Northern Australia Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Pacific, South Pacific, New Guinea Pacific area, New Guinea Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)

Log in to view data on a map.
IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2019.
pH 6.4 - 8.0
Temperature 17.0-27.0°C or 62.6-80.6°F (Show species within this range)
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Accepts a wide variety of live and prepared foods. User data.
Furniture Provide driftwood and rocks as hiding places.
Compatibility An active, shoaling species that can be kept with fish of equivalent size or larger.
Breeding Spawns in the wild during spring or early summer at 26°C. An oral incubator, males carry up to 120 eggs for 6-8 weeks. The eggs and developing larvae collected from males can be incubated in an egg cone.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe v. 54 (pt 3), pp 383 [28], Pl. 4 (fig. 12).
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
Wishlists Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list.
There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars!
There are 2 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
Forum BBCode
Look up PlanetCatfish.com Look up N. graeffei on PlanetCatfish.com
Look up on Fishbase Look up N. graeffei on Fishbase
Look up on Encyclopedia of Life Look up N. graeffei on Encyclopedia of Life
Look up on Global Biodiversity Information Facility Look up N. graeffei on Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Neoarius graeffei QR code LFS label creator
Last Update 2020 Oct 22 03:43 (species record created: 2005 Apr 16 00:00)