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

FACTSHEETS: September 2006 - no. 123

Pangasianodon gigas Chevey, 1931


irst of all this is not an aquarium care sheet for this species as the "Mekong giant catfish" does not belong in the home aquarium, as this is one of the worlds largest freshwater fish and as such should be admired from afar!

 

Pangasianodon gigas

Pangasianodon gigas

 

It was reported in 2003 that Pangasianodon gigas is in itself getting to a critical point of extinction due to the growing pressure by fisheries, damming, and habitat destruction along the banks in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This is also true of a lot of other species that exist in this great river as more and more people rely on the Megong for their livliehood.

Like many species in the Mekong, the giant catfish needs great stretches of the river to migrate seasonally—and it must have specific water quality and flow to move through its lifecycles of spawning, eating, and breeding.

 

Pangasianodon gigas

Pangasianodon gigas

 

It shows one of the greatest growth rates for any fish in the world, reaching 150 to 200kg in 6 years.

The "Mekong giant catfish" has been re-listed as Critically Endangered because there is information which indicates that populations of the fish have declined significantly over the past several years.

There are game fishing trips for catching this large species (above) but these are rereleased back into their habitat and the records that they record can help to identify what condition and numbers there are at that present moment in time.

 

Common Name

Mekong giant catfish

Synonyms

Pangasius gigas , Pangasius paucidens

Family

Pangasiidae

Subfamily

-

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).

Size

300cm. (11ft.4ins)

Temp.

22-28°C (71-83°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

Characteristics

Dorsal spines (total): 2 - 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. 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.

Colouration

Silver to grey body. Fins grey, never black. Yellow underbelly and same colour to mouth area.

Aquarium Care & Compatibility

Not an aquarium specimen.

Reproduction

Little is known on its general pattern of life and migratory journeys for spawning

Sexual Differences

Females are fuller in the body.

Diet

Feeds on vegetation and insect larvae in the river but takes other food in captivity.

Glossary of Terms

Gill rakers: Structure on the upper portion of the gill arches.
Mandibulary barbels: Pertaining to the lower jaw. (mandibular barbels).
Maxillary barbels: Pertaining to the upper jaw. (maxillary barbels).

Etymology

Pangasianodon: Pangasius + an (Greek for without)+odon (Greek for tooth); in reference to the toothless state of the adult fish.
gigas
: Latin meaning Giant.

References

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2006. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (05/2006).
National Geographic: Giant Catfish Critically Endangered. Ryan Mitchell and David Braun National Geographic News November 18, 2003.
Rainboth, WJ, 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, p153.

Photo Credits

Top image: © Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library

Bottom image: © Fishing Adventures Thailand

Donate towards my web hosting bill!

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.

If you would like to donate any denomination of money 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.

 

ScotCat Sources

Etymology = Genus Etymology-genera

Etymology = Species Etymology-specific name

 

Online Sources

Search  Search

Fishbase Fishbase

Wikipedia Wikipedia

Catalog of Fishes Catalog of Fishes

Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF

FishNet2 Fishnet2

iNaturalist iNaturalist

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

©2023 SCOTCAT.COM