''Pangasius'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of medium-large to very large
shark catfishes native to fresh water in
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
and
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important
basa fish, ''P. bocourti''.
Taxonomy
In 1993, ''Pangasius'' was one of two extant genera (along with ''
Helicophagus'') in the family
Pangasiidae. At this point, it was split into four subgenera. ''Pangasius'' (''Pangasianodon'') included ''
P. gigas'' and ''
P. hypophthalmus'' and was diagnosed by the absence of
mandibular barbels, the absence of teeth in adults and the presence of a single-lobed
swimbladder
The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw, or air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of many bony fish (but not cartilaginous fish) to control their buoyancy, and thus to stay at their current water depth wit ...
. ''Pangasius'' (''Pteropangasius'') included ''P. micronema'' and ''P. pleurotaenia'' and was diagnosed by four lobes in the swimbladder and with multiple segments in the last lobe. ''Pangasius'' (''Neopangasius'') included ''P. nieuwenhuisii'', ''P. humeralis'', ''P. lithostoma'', ''P. kinabatanganensis'', diagnosed by
palatal
The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.
A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...
teeth arranged in a single large patch and high
vertebra
The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristi ...
l counts. ''Pangasius'' (''Pangasius'') was the final subgenus and had no diagnostic features, containing the remaining species.
These subgeneric classifications were confirmed in 2000 except for ''Neopangasius'', found to be
polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...
and to be part of ''Pangasius'' (''Pangasius''), thus leaving three subgenera.
Since then, the subgenera have been variably recognized as separate. ''P. gigas'' and ''P. hypophthalmus'' have been classified in the genus ''
Pangasianodon'', and ''P. micronemus'' and ''P. pleurotaenia'' in the genus ''
Pseudolais'' (with ''Pteropangasius'' as a
junior synonym
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linn ...
).
In 2011, ''Pangasius'' was sixth in the
National Fisheries Institute’s "Top 10" list of the most consumed seafood in the United States. The Top 10 is based on tonnage of fish sold. According to the NFI, this mild-flavored white-fleshed fish is farmed in Asia, and is being used increasingly in food service. It is finding its way onto restaurant menus and into stores, as well, where one may see it called basa, tra, or swai. They are either called Panga, Pangas or Pangasius, In
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
, Pangasius are called Ikan Patin , while Malaysian Chinese call Pangasius 巴丁鱼. Some species like Pangasius Nasutus , Pangasius Djambal and Pangasius Sanitwongsei are expensive food fish in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
, Pangasius Sanitwongsei was also a common fish in aquarium trade and
sport fishing
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishin ...
.
Species
Currently, 22 recognized species are in this genus:
* ''
Pangasius bocourti''
Sauvage, 1880 (basa fish)
* ''
Pangasius conchophilus''
Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 (snail eating pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius djambal''
Bleeker, 1846
* ''
Pangasius elongatus''
Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002 (elongated pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius humeralis''
Roberts, 1989
* ''
Pangasius kinabatanganensis''
Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 (kinabatang pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius krempfi''
Fang
A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fa ...
& Chaux, 1949
* ''
Pangasius kunyit''
Pouyaud, Teugels & Legendre, 1999
* ''
Pangasius larnaudii''
Bocourt, 1866 (spot pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius lithostoma''
Roberts, 1989
* ''
Pangasius macronema''
Bleeker, 1851
* ''
Pangasius mahakamensis''
Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002
* ''
Pangasius mekongensis''
Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003 (mekong pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius myanmar''
Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 (myanmar pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius nasutus''
( Bleeker, 1863) (long nosed pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius nieuwenhuisii
''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''.
T ...
''
( Popta, 1904)
* ''
Pangasius pangasius''
(Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilto ...
, 1822) (yellowtail catfish)
* ''
Pangasius polyuranodon''
Bleeker, 1852
* ''
Pangasius rheophilus''
Pouyaud & Teugels, 2000
* ''
Pangasius sabahensis''
Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003
* ''
Pangasius sanitwongsei''
Smith, 1931 (giant pangasius)
* ''
Pangasius silasi
''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''.
Ta ...
''
Dwivedi et al., 2017
Fossil record
The single known fossil species of this genus, ''
P. indicus'', is reported from the
Paleogene
The Paleogene ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning o ...
period of
Sipang,
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
, either from the
Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...
or the
Oligocene
The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but t ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q312329
Pangasiidae
Paleogene genus first appearances
Catfish genera
Taxa named by Achille Valenciennes
Freshwater fish genera
Extant Paleogene first appearances