Giant pangasius
Conservation status
Data deficient
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Siluriformes Family: Pangasiidae Genus: Pangasius Species: P. sanitwongsei
Binomial name
Pangasius sanitwongsei Smith, 1931

The giant pangasius or Chao Phraya giant catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei) is a species of freshwater fish in the shark catfish family (family Pangasiidae) of order Siluriformes, found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong basins. These fish are benthopelagic swimmers.^[1] The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Animalia redirects here. ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Families Akysidae Amblycipitidae Amphiliidae Ariidae Aspredinidae Astroblepidae Auchenipteridae Bagridae Callichthyidae Cetopsidae Chacidae Clariidae Claroteidae Cranoglanididae Diplomystidae Doradidae Hypophthalmidae Ictaluridae Loricariidae Malapteruridae Mochokidae Nematogenyidae Pangasiidae Parakysidae Pimelodidae Plotosidae Schilbeidae Scoloplacidae Siluridae Sisoridae Trichomycteridae Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a diverse group of fish. ... Genera Helicophagus Pangasianodon Pangasius See text for species. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Look up smith, Smith in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Genera Helicophagus Pangasianodon Pangasius See text for species. ... In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is 1) a rank or 2) a taxon in that rank. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Families Akysidae Amblycipitidae Amphiliidae Ariidae Aspredinidae Astroblepidae Auchenipteridae Bagridae Callichthyidae Cetopsidae Chacidae Clariidae Claroteidae Cranoglanididae Diplomystidae Doradidae Hypophthalmidae Ictaluridae Loricariidae Malapteruridae Mochokidae Nematogenyidae Pangasiidae Parakysidae Pimelodidae Plotosidae Schilbeidae Scoloplacidae Siluridae Sisoridae Trichomycteridae Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a diverse group of fish. ... A view of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok The Chao Phraya (Thai แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country. ... Map of the Mekong River watershed. ... Diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone. ...

Physical characteristics

The giant pangasius is pigmented with dusky melanophores. It has a wide, flat, whiskerless head. It has a silver, curved underside and a dark brown back. Its dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins are dark gray and the first soft ray is is extended into a filament. Full-grown adults can reach ten feet in length (300 cm) and weigh up to 646 pounds (300 kg).^[1] Melanophores are chromatophores that contain black and brown pigments called melanin. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ...

Behavior

Juveniles and adults feed on crustaceans and fishes. Larger individuals have been known to feed on the carcasses of fowl and dogs (which are commonly used as bait). The Giant pangasius is a migratory species. These fish typically spawn just prior to the monsoon season.^[1] Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods, comprising approximately 52,000 described species [1], and are usually treated as a subphylum [2].They include various familiar animals... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Monsoon in the Vindhya mountain range, central India A monsoon is a storm whose direction depends on the specific season. ...

Relationship to humans

Fishing of this species used to be accompanied by religious ceremonies and rites. It is often mentioned in textbooks, news media, and popular press. This fish is a popular food fish and marketed fresh.^[1] Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish by hooking, trapping, or gathering animals not classifiable as insects which breathe in water or pass their lives in water. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

These fish sometimes appear in the aquarium fish hobby. There is even a "Balloon" form of this fish where the fish has an unusually short and stocky body. For other uses, see Aquarium (disambiguation). ...

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Pangasius sanitwongsei". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. Mar 2007 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2007.