Family Ariidae Bleeker 1858 (Fig. 3F). Sea Catfishes; Bagres, Cuminates, Congos

Description: Body elongate, rounded (cylindrical) to depressed; usually less than 100 cm in length; head large, rounded to depressed; usually three pairs of barbels, rarely two (no nasal barbels); top of head covered by a rough bony shield that is partly visible through the thin skin, with a bony process that extends back to meet a bone plate at the base of the dorsal fin; pectoral and dorsal fins with a strong spine; adipose fin present; anal fin with 14–40 soft rays; caudal fin deeply forked (Robertson & Allen 2015, Nelson et al. 2016). Distribution: Mainly marine, many fresh or brackish water; worldwide, tropical to warm temperate oceans (Nelson et al. 2016). Four genera and eleven species in Nicaraguan freshwaters.