Scientific Name
Sperata seenghala

Common Name
Giant river-catfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 12. Body elongate and compressed; snout broad and spatulate. Barbels extend posteriorly to pelvic fins or beyond to anal fin. Dorsal spine weakly serrated on its posterior edge; adipose fin base short, about as long as the rayed dorsal fin base. Color is brownish-gray on back, silvery on flanks and belly. A dark well-defined spot is on the adipose dorsal fin.

Classification

Classified By

Sykes, 1839

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Bagrid catfishes (Bagridae)

Distribution

Region

Asia

Distribution

Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh (Ref. 4833). Reported from Thailand (Ref. 37773) and Yunnan, China (Ref. 84139).

Range

39°N - 8°N

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243)

Trophic Level

3.66 s.e. 0.53 Based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

150 cm

Common Length

40.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5625 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: likely future use; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Very high vulnerability (82 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec = 20,064)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)