Rainforest Animals - Mekong Giant Catfish

Name:
Mekong Giant Catfish

Scientific Name:
Pangasianodon gigas

Status:
Critically Endangered

Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Pangasiidae
Genus: Pangasianodon
Species: P. gigas

General Information:
The Mekong giant catfish is the largest freshwater fish in the world, and is endemic to the Mekong basin of Southeast Asia. A behemoth that can reach near-mythical proportions, this aquatic giant is migratory and requires extensive stretches of river for its seasonal migration. It also needs particular environmental conditions for breeding and spawning. Heavy fishing and other forms of human encroachment have pushed this catfish to the brink of extinction. It is currently classified as "Critically Endangered". In the past century, its population has been diminished by some 95 percent, and some experts believe there are only a few hundred adults left.

Physical Description:
The most marked feature of this fish is its remarkable size. The largest specimen ever caught was 9 feet in length and weight 646 lbs. It was the largest freshwater fish ever recorded. The Mekong giant catfish has low-set eyes, are silvery to dark gray in color on top and white underneath, and are toothless. Juveniles also possess the characteristic catfish whiskers known as barbels. As they grow older the barbels shrink in size.

Diet:
The Mekong giant catfish is an herbivore, and feeds on the plants and algae of the river.

Habitat:
It lives in the lower half of the Mekong River system in Southeast Asia, occurring in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Reproduction:
The Mekong giant catfish grows extremely quickly, and can reach 330 - 440 lbs in only six years time. This large fish, however, has also been noted for its slow reproduction rate, which, coupled with human encroachment pressures, has led to the precarious state of its survival. It migrates to spawn, but the damming of Mekong tributaries has led to the destruction of many of its breeding and spawning grounds. Siltation has also taken a large toll.

Article Source: www.paradiseearth.com