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Pangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880

Image contributors to this species:

Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (1) Fishes of Mainland Southeast Asia (2)

ScotCat Sources:

Other Sources:

Relevant Information:

Description: Anal soft rays: 31 - 35. Body stout and heavy, head broader than long; blue-black dorsum; blunt snout with broad white band on muzzle; single large patch of vomerine teeth with separate patch of palatine teeth on each side. Rounded head and blunt rounded snout. Habitat: Known from large rivers and also found in rapids and in deeper slower reaches. Enters flooded forest and feeds on plants. Reproduction: Spawns at the onset of flood season and the young are first seen in June, averaging about 5 cm by mid-June. Etymology: The specific name bocourti: In honour of French zoologist and artist Marie Firmin Bocourt (1819–1904), who described P. larnaudii in 1866. Remarks: This is mainly the fish sold in U.K. supermarkets (rarely also as Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) as Vietnamese river cobbler, sold in place of the more expensive cod or haddock.

Common Name:

Basa fish

Synonyms:

Pangasius altifrons

Family:

Pangasiidae

Distribution:

Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins. Type locality: Phnom-Penh (Cambodia).

Size:

120.0cm. (4ft.0ins)

Temp:

22-28°C (71-83°F)

p.H.

6.5-7.5.

IUCN Red List

A common species is recorded from the Chao Phraya River and the Mekong basin. It is highly utilised and impacted by habitat loss, but is assessed as Least Concern at present as there is no evidence at present of significant population declines across its range. Impacts from potential future mainstream dams should be monitored, but needs updating (IUCN 2012).

Reference:

Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2006. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2010).
Kano Y, Adnan MSB, Grudpan C, Grudpan J, Magtoon W, Musikasinthorn P, Natori Y, Ottomanski S, Praxaysonbath B, Phongsa K, Rangsiruji A, Shibukawa K, Shimatani Y, So N, Suvarnaraksha A, Thach P, Thanh PN, Tran DD, Utsugi K, Yamashita T (2013) An online database on freshwater fish diversity and distribution in Mainland Southeast Asia. Ichthyological Research 60: 293-295".
Roberts, T.R. and C. Vidthayanon, 1991. Systematic revision of the Asian catfish family Pangasiidae, with biological observations and descriptions of three new species. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 143:97-144.
The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database © Christopher Scharpf.
Vidthayanon, C. 2012. Pangasius bocourti. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.

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

Pangasius bocourti
Juvenile

Pangasius bocourti
(location uncertain) From Prey Veng Fish market, below the Mekong River, Cambodia-sub adult

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