Coral Catfish - Venomous

The Coral Catfish (Plotosus lineatus) can be found among lagoons of the Indo-Pacific. Juveniles are deep black with yellow or white lines and form very large schools, traveling and sifting sand for nutrients. If kept without a school, they may hide and refuse to eat. As they age, they lose the desire to school and prefer to be kept singly. They can reach a maximum size of 12 inches and have venomous barbs, so use caution when placing hand in the aquarium. They should have a sand bed to scavenge though and it is best to allow food to sit on the sand for the catfish to find. Being a scaleless fish, they are very sensitive to copper-based treatments.