Giant catfish (Netuma thalassina)

Scientific name: Netuma thalassina R?ppell, 1837

The Giant catfish (Netuma thalassina) is a freshwater fish of the family Ariidae.

Biology

A marine species often found in estuaries, but rarely enters freshwater. Typically euryhaline. Reported to occasionally ascend into fresh water. Recorded at temperatures ranging from 26-29?C. Feeds mainly on crabs, prawns, mantis shrimps (Squilla species) but also on fishes and mollusks. An important food fish. Marketed mostly fresh; often dried.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Netuma thalassina
Family: Ariidae (Sea catfishes)
Order: Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 185
Common length: 70.0
Depth range: 10–195 m (33–640 ft)
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; amphidromous; depth range 10 - 195 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Western Indian Ocean: known with certainty from the Red Sea and the northwestern Indian Ocean. A closely related form occurs in the Philippines and Gulf of Thailand. The wider distribution usually given for this species stems from misidentifications of similar species overlapping its range. Also reported from Australia, Polynesia and Japan and rarely in the Mekong delta.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Traumatogenic
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-4; tmax=19)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026