Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas)

Scientific name: Pangasianodon gigas Chevey, 1931

Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas)

The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is a freshwater fish of the family Pangasiidae. Native range: Asia, endemic to the Mekong basin where it has become rare due to overexploitation. International trade banned (CITES I, since 1.7.1975; CMS Appendix I).

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal soft rays: 35; Vertebrae: 48. Body without stripes; posterior nostril located near anterior nostril; 7 branched dorsal-fin rays; gill rakers rudimentary or absent; fins grey, never black. The center of the eye above the horizontal line through the mouth angle in juveniles; eye totally below the level of mouth angle in subadults and adults. The maxillary and mandibulary pairs of barbels well developed in juveniles; mandibulary barbels become rudimentary in subadults and adults. Gigantic size; oral teeth and gill rakers present in small juveniles, absent at about 30-50 cm SL; dorsal, pelvic and pectoral fins without filamentous extensions. Distinguished from other large catfish in the Mekong by its lack of teeth and the almost complete absence of barbels

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Pangasianodon gigas
Family
Pangasiidae (Shark catfishes)
Order
Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
300
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic; potamodromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: endemic to the Mekong basin where it has become rare due to overexploitation. International trade banned (CITES I, since 1.7.1975; CMS Appendix I).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Critically Endangered (CR) (A4bcde)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: experimental
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tm=5-10)

Sources

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

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