Diversity, Distribution, Movement and Health of marine catfish (Ariidae) in the Eastern Johor strait

Supervisor

Singapore’s coastal waters, though limited in extent and heavily modified, support a surprisingly diverse assemblage of marine life that faces increasing pressure from coastal development, intensive maritime activity, and aquaculture expansion. Among these species, marine catfishes (family Ariidae) are an ecologically important yet overlooked group. Widely distributed across tropical and subtropical coasts, ariid catfish play crucial roles in benthic food webs as both predators and prey, linking estuarine, mangrove, and marine ecosystems. Despite their abundance and ecological importance, little is known about their population dynamics, habitat use, or conservation status in Singapore. The conservation relevance of marine catfish extends beyond ecology. These fishes are venomous and are frequently encountered by recreational anglers and coastal users. Painful stings from their fin spines are a common risk, which highlights the importance of understanding their movement, abundance, and interactions with people. Addressing this knowledge gap will improve both biodiversity management and human–wildlife coexistence along Singapore’s shores. This project will examine wild ariid catfishes in the Straits of Johor, where open-sea aquaculture farms overlap with natural habitats. By investigating their diversity, population connectivity, and ecological associations — including parasite and microbial communities — the study will generate essential baseline data on a locally important but poorly documented group. This study will compare contemporary ariid species occurrence with historical records to assess temporal changes in distribution and community composition. Dietary analyses will clarify their trophic role within Singapore’s coastal food webs, providing insight into their functional role in nearshore ecosystems. Pathological and haematological profiling will establish the first baseline health dataset for wild ariid populations. Together, these ecological and physiological data will provide foundational knowledge for understanding population status and informing future research, conservation and management efforts.

01 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2028

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