SCOTCAT.COM  

your internet guide to all things catfish
≡
  • HOME
  • FACTSHEETS
    • By Month/Year
    • By Family
    • by Genus
    • by Common Names
    • By Specific Names
    • By Continent
      • Index
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australasia
      • Europe
      • North America
      • South America
  • GALLERIES
    • Photo Gallery
    • Art Gallery
    • Movie Gallery
    • Stamps Gallery
  • FAMILIES
    • A-B
      • Ailiidae
      • Akysidae
      • Amblycipitidae
      • Amphiliidae
      • Anchariidae
      • Ariidae
      • Aspredinidae
      • Astroblepidae
      • Auchenipteridae
      • Austroglanididae
      • Bagridae
    • C-D
      • Callichthyidae
      • Cetopsidae
      • Chacidae
      • Clariidae
      • Claroteidae
      • Cranoglanididae
      • Diplomystidae
      • Doradidae
    • E-H
      • Erithistidae
      • Heptapteridae
      • Heteropneustidae
      • Horabagridae
    • I-M
      • Ictaluridae
      • Lacantuniidae
      • Loricariidae
      • Malapteruridae
      • Mochokidae
    • N-P
      • Nematogenyidae
      • Pangasiidae
      • Phreatobiidae
      • Pimelodidae
      • Plotosidae
      • Pseudopimelodidae
    • S-T
      • Schilbeidae
      • Scoloplacidae
      • Siluridae
      • Sisoridae
      • Trichomycteridae
  • ARTICLES
    • Index
    • Breeding
    • By Author
    • Cat-Articles
    • General
    • Numbered List
    • Ichthyology
    • Travel/Collecting
  • IDENT-A-CAT
  • RESOURCES
    • Citation
    • Etymology
    • Fishhouse
    • Glossary
    • Scientific Papers
    • ScotShop
  • SITE MAP
  • FB GROUP
  • HELP
    • Index
    • Catfish Anatomy
    • Convertors
    • FAQ
    • Ident-A-Cat
    • Water Chemistry

Bagarius suchus Roberts, 1983

 

Image contributors to this species:

Enrico Richter (3) Liam Irons-Mclean (3)

ScotCat Sources:

Etymology = Genus

Other Sources:

Search  Fishbase  Wikipedia  Catalog of Fishes  Global Biodiversity Information Facility  FishNet2  iNaturalist  IUCN

Relevant Information:

Description: Vertebrae: 40 - 42. Rugose dorsal surface of bony cranium and predorsal plate exposed (not covered by skin); a median sharp ridge on supraoccipital crest and paired sharp longitudinal ridges on predorsal |plate; skin on sides of head and on body with closely set beadlike or granular protuberances (resembling those of gecko skin) of similar size; body depth 7.9-9.3 (mean 8.5); a darkly pigmented spot or blotch on side of body midway between darkly pigmented bands associated with bases of dorsal and adipose fins. The skin above the neural spines anterior and posterior to the adipose fin always forms large ridges or humps (seven to nine in front of the adipose fin, three to five behind it), much more prominent and more numerous than the relatively weak humps or ridges sometimes formed over the neural spines in B. bagarius and rarely present and even more weakly developed in B. yarrelli (now a synonym of B. bagarius). In B. suchus the adipose fin origin tends to lie even further posterior than in B. bagarius (and therefore much further posteriorly than in B. yarrelli), and the distance separating the dorsal and adipose fins is much greater in B. suchus than in B. bagarius or B. yarrelli. Habitat: The species is found in the middle and upper parts of the Chao Phraya and Mekong drainages in Thailand, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. Recorded from the Srepok River in Lao PDR; likely to be found in the upper parts of the Mekong tributaries in Viet Nam. Recorded from the Mun, Nam Songkhram and Nam Oon rivers in Thailand. Aquarium Care: The only member of the genus suitable for home aquaria. Cool, fast-flowing water required for this rapid dwelling fish. Tank should include large, smooth and rounded stones over a sandy substrate. Foods include bloodworms, shrimp and live or dead fish. Best kept alone, given its predatory nature. Will eat or dismantle most tankmates. Diet: Requiring meaty foods at all times. In the wild this fish would predate upon smaller fishes, but in an aquarium it can be persuaded to feed upon cockles, mussels, whole prawns, dead fish and earthworms. Remarks: 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" or "Crocodile 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. B. yarrelli is now a synonym of Bagarius bagarius. Note: Amornsakchai et al. (2000) showed that the species had declined as a result of the construction of the Pak Mun dam on the Mun River in Thailand, and considered it likely to be impacted by the construction of dams on the Mekong (MRC 2010). Assessed as 'Endangered' in Cambodia.

Common Name:

Crocodile catfish, Flat Head Goonch

Synonyms:

None

Family:

Sisoridae

Distribution:

Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins. Type locality: Thailand, Kemrat.

Size:

70.0cm. (2ft 4ins)

Temp:

18-25°c (64-77°f.)

p.H.

6.0-7.2.

Reference:

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (01/2011).
Rainboth, W.J., 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. FAO, Rome, 265 p.
Allen, D. 2012. Bagarius suchus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.


Back to Family page


Family: Sisoridae  Back to Ident-A-Cat  Click on Thumbnails

Click for full image Bagarius suchus
Click for full imageBagarius suchus
Head view
Click for full imageBagarius suchus
Click for full imageBagarius suchus
Juvenile
Click for full imageBagarius suchus
Juvenile head view
Click for full imageBagarius suchus
Juvenile closer head view

 

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

 

Donate towards my web hosting bill!

 

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.

  • Facebook about us + contact us + citation + translate + site map + scotshop + glossary + etymology +
  • help YouTube

©2022 SCOTCAT.COM