''Bagarius bagarius'', also known as the giant devil catfish or goonch ( ''gorua'', ), is a species of

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order (biology), order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are common name, named for their prominent barbel (anatomy), barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not ...

in the genus ''

Bagarius ''Bagarius'' () is an Asian genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Sisoridae. It includes five to six extant species and potentially one extinct fossil species, '' B. gigas''. Species There are currently five to six extant specie ...

''. It is generally reported as being found in large and medium rivers in

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

, and is likely synonymous with '' B. yarrelli''.

Taxonomy

Prior to 2021, the standard was to recognize two species of ''Bagarius'' from the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

: First ''B. bagarius'', supposedly a small species (up to ) first described in 1822 by

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton Francis Buchanan (15 February 1762 – 15 June 1829), later known as Francis Hamilton but often referred to as Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, was a Scottish surgeon, surveyor and botanist who made significant contributions as a geographer and zoolo ...

based on a specimen from the

Ganges River The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...

. The second is '' B. yarrelli'', supposedly a very large species (up to ) first described in 1839 by

William Henry Sykes Colonel William Henry Sykes, FRS (25 January 1790 – 16 June 1872) was an English naturalist who served with the British military in India and was specifically known for his work with the Indian Army as a politician, Indologist and ornitholog ...

based on a specimen from the

Mula-Mutha River The Mula-Mutha is a river in India, formed by the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers in the city of Pune, Maharashtra state, which later flows into the Bhima River, which itself is a tributary of the Krishna River and finally empties int ...

. Recent studies have not been able to document that more than one species exists in the Indian subcontinent, which, if confirmed, would mean that the name ''B. bagarius'' is a

senior synonym In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. ...

of ''B. yarrelli'', which was confirmed by a 2021 study. In contrast,

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

n populations from the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River ( , ) is a transboundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of and a drainage area of , discharging of wat ...

and

Chao Phraya The Chao Phraya River is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Etymology Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...

basins typically included in ''B. bagarius'' likely represent a separate species, which a 2021 study found to be the new species '' B. vegrandis''. The larger type has been accused of several fatal attacks on humans in the

Mahakali River The Sharda River is the downstream of Kāli River (or Mahakali River) that originates in the northern Uttarakhand state of India in the Great Himalayas on the eastern slopes of Nanda Devi massif, at an elevation of in the Pithoragarh distr ...

that is

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

's western border with India.

References

5
'Giant Baghair caught in Jamuna'
in The Daily Star (Bangladesh), May 12, 2009] Bagarius Fish described in 1822 Fish of Bangladesh Fish of Bhutan Fish of India Fish of Nepal Taxa named by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton {{sisoridae-stub