Striped eel catfish
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Striped eel catfish eat small shrimp, crabs, fish and similar prey.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Striped eel catfish
- Scientific name
- Plotosus japonicus
- Japanese name
- ゴンズイ
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Family
- Plotosidae
- Genus
- Plotosus
A catfish of shallow seas near the shore. It hides in sheltered spots by day and swims around actively at night.
It has sharp, venomous spines on its dorsal and pectoral fins for defense. The venom remains even after the fish dies.
Its tightly packed schools, called “gonzui-dama” (catfish balls), look like a big creature, which seems to help keep the fish safe.
How the Striped eel catfish lives
They gather with fish of their own species that are similar in size.
葛西臨海水族園Basic data
- Size
- Total length: 30 cm
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)
- Diet
- Small shrimp, crabs, fish, and other foods
- Range
- Western Pacific south of central Honshu
Where the Striped eel catfish has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- ゴンズイ
- 简体中文
- 日本鳗鲇
- 繁體中文
- 日本鰻鯰
- Español
- Pez Gato Nipón del Coral
- Português (Brasil)
- Bagre-enguia-nipônico
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — ゴンズイChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Striped eel catfish, look for this
- Look for the barbels around its mouth.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
葛西臨海水族園EXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Striped eel catfish
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
RELATIVES
Others in Siluriformes
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