The hard-palate catfish (Brustiarius solidus), also known as the hard-plate catfish,[1] is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was described by Albert William Herre in 1935, originally under the genus Arius.[2] It is a tropical freshwater fish which is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It reaches a maximum standard length of 60cm (20inches), with both sexes more commonly reaching an SL of 35cm (14inches). It reaches a maximum weight of 1.8kg (04lb).
The hard-palate catfish feeds on shrimp in the genus Macrobrachium, algae in the genus Salvinia, insects and nymphs, Ophieleotris aporos, leeches, earthworms, and detritus.[3] Adults spawn year-round, laying eggs in quantities ranging from 8-85, which are incubated orally.[4]