SCOTCAT.COM  

Zeng & Chen 2025 (4)

Description: Bagarius protos can be distinguished from congeners by having the following combination of characteristics: eye small (5–8% HL), lateral margin of frontal straight, not forming brow ridge, strongly notched in antero-dorsal margin of the first dorsal-fin pterygiophore, dorsal spine strong (width 10.6–14.4 times its length), filamentous extensions of pectoral-fin spine reaching posterior of anal-fin base, neural spines of 4th–6th vertebrae immediately anterior to adipose fin distally slender, adipose-fin origin at vertical through or very slightly posterior to anal-fin origin, caudal peduncle deep (4.2–5.1% SL), (Zeng & Chen 2025). Habitat: The new species is distributed in the mainstream of the Nujiang River and the Nanting River in China, also expected to occur on the Salween River in Myanmar and Thailand, (Zeng & Chen 2025). Etymology: The epithet name “protos” consists of the Greek “protos,” meaning original (at first), referring to the species being in the most primitive position in the phylogenetic tree of genus Bagarius. The suggested common name in Chinese is (Pinyin: yuan pi). Remarks: As of January 2021 there are now five Bagarius species described. The "Devil Catfish" Bagarius bagarius from the Indian subcontinent. The "Dwarf Goonch" B. vegrandis is found in Chao Phraya and the Mekong. The "Flat head Goonch" B. suchus is found in Chao Phraya and the Mekong. The Giant B. lica is found in every basin except Salween. B. rutilis from Vietnam, and the undescribed species B. sp. salween which is only found in Salween and is now described as B. protos.. B. yarrelli is now a synonym of Bagarius bagarius. Update: As of June 2025 there are another two species described by Yang & Chen, B. protos (B. sp. "salween") and B. dolichonema bringing the total to seven.

None

None

Sisoridae

Asia: Nujiang River and the Nanting River in China.

40.0cm. (16ins)

18-25°c (64-77°f.)

6.5-7.8.

Fish in the News 2025.
Zeng Y-Y, Pu X-R, Lei H-T, Oo TN, Chen X-Y (2025) A taxonomic review of Bagarius catfish (Siluriformes, Sisoridae) in the Salween and Irrawaddy rivers, with descriptions of two new species from China and Myanmar. Zoosystematics and Evolution 101(3): 1123-1136.