The shovelnose sea catfish (Arius subrostratus), also called the short-nosed catfish or the marine catfish, is a species of sea catfish in the family Ariidae. It was first described by Achille Valenciennes in 1840.
It is a non-migratory species which inhabits tropical marine and brackish waters in the Indo-western Pacific region, including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand. It dwells at a depth range of . It reaches a maximum NG length of , while commonly reaching a total length of .
It has been recorded spawning between the months of JanuaryâÂÂApril and SeptemberâÂÂOctober in India. Males incubate the eggs in their mouths.
The diet of the shovelnose sea catfish includes detritus, polychaete worms, diatoms, algal weeds, and various crustaceans.
The shovelnose sea catfish is of commercial value to fisheries; it is mostly marketed fresh.