Bagarius suchus

Bagarius suchus is a species from the genus of devil catfish ( Bagarius ) and the mountain catfish family ( Sisoridae ). It occurs in the river systems of the Mekong and Chao Phraya. The species is commercially exploited and sold fresh, the meat spoils very quickly, however, and can cause poisoning.

Features

Bagarius suchus reaches a body length of up to 70 centimeters. The head is broad and flattened, with large, wide mouth and four pairs of barbels, one of which has the pair in the upper jaw, a well-educated membrane. The back of the head and Prädorsalplatte are wrinkled and not covered by skin. A sharp ridge runs along the back of the head and two ridges on the Prädorsalplatte. The skin of the head and sides of the body has numerous, closely spaced nodes. About the paired fins are dark bands, interspersed with dark spots around the sidelines. The adipose fin sits further back than other Bagarius species, lie behind conspicuous ridges that are formed by the elongated spinous processes.

Way of life

The species colonized large rivers, usually in the vicinity of rapids and feeds mostly on smaller fish.

Documents

  • Bagarius suchus on Fishbase.org (English)
  • W. J. Rain Both: Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, 1996, p 160

Weblink

  • Bagarius suchus endangered in the IUCN Red List species of 2013.2. Posted by: Allen, D., 2011, Accessed on 10 January 2014.
  • Catfish
  • Siluriformes
Taxonomic rank#All ranks Ostariophysi Barbel (anatomy)
97317
de