''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

, 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