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The giant pangasius, paroon shark, or Chao Phraya giant catfish (''Pangasius sanitwongsei'') is a species of large freshwater fish in the
shark catfish The shark catfishes form the family Pangasiidae. They are found in fresh and brackish waters across southern Asia, from Pakistan to Borneo. Among the 30-odd members of this family is the plant-eating, endangered Mekong giant catfish ''Pangasia ...
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
(Pangasiidae) of
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...
Siluriformes Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not all catfish have prominent barbels or "whis ...
, found in the
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 ...
and
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 ...
basins in
Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...
. Its populations have declined drastically, mainly due to
overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing Fish stocks, fish stock), resu ...
, and it is now considered
Critically Endangered An IUCN Red List critically endangered (CR or sometimes CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. As of December 2023, of t ...
.


Etymology

The
specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...
''sanitwongsei'' was chosen by H.M. Smith to honor M. R. Suwaphan Sanitwong () for his support of fisheries in Thailand.


Physical characteristics

The giant pangasius is a typical member of the ''Pangasiidae'' commonly known as shark catfishes, which swim off the bottom unlike other catfish families. The species has a silver, curved underside and a dark brown back, possessing dusky
melanophore Chromatophores are cells that produce color, of which many types are pigment-containing cells, or groups of cells, found in a wide range of animals including amphibians, fish, reptiles, crustaceans and cephalopods. Mammals and birds, in contrast ...
s that helps them
camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
. They have a wide, flat,
whisker Whiskers, also known as vibrissae (; vibrissa; ) are a type of stiff, functional hair used by most therian mammals to sense their environment. These hairs are finely specialised for this purpose, whereas other types of hair are coarser as t ...
-less head. Its body is compressed and elongate, with a depressed head. It has a continuous and uninterrupted single
vomer The vomer (; ) is one of the unpaired facial bones of the skull. It is located in the midsagittal line, and articulates with the sphenoid, the ethmoid, the left and right palatine bones, and the left and right maxillary bones. The vomer forms ...
o-
palatine A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman Empire, Roman times.
tooth-patch which is curved. The first soft ray of their dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins are extended into filaments. Its
fins A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foil (fluid mechanics), foils that produce lift (force), lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while travelin ...
often contrast with its body, being dark grey to black. The anal fin has 26 rays and the
serrated Serration is a saw-like appearance or a row of sharp or tooth-like projections. A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut. By having less contact area than a smooth blade or other edge, the applied pr ...
pectoral fin-spine is similar in size to the dorsal spine. Fully grown giant pangasius can reach SL in length and weigh up to , though they are typically 2 meters.


Habitat

The species is native to 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 ...
rivers that run through China, Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It has been introduced to central
Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
,
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, and
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
. ''Pangasius sanitwongsei'' is tolerant of poor
water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...
, mainly in
brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuary ...
s, and prefers to live in the bottom of deep depressions in freshwater rivers. There are currently two sub-
population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
s of Paroon Shark separated by the
Khone Falls The Khone Falls and Pha Pheng Falls (; , ''Lbak Khaon'') together form a waterfall located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos, near the border with Cambodia. It is the widest waterfall in the world at 10,783 metres (35,376 ...
which they do not migrate over.


Biology

The giant pangasius is a
benthopelagic The demersal zone is the part of the sea or ocean (or deep lake) consisting of the part of the water column near to (and significantly affected by) the seabed and the benthos. The demersal zone is just above the benthic zone and forms a layer of ...
and migratory species. The species is
predatory Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...
, with juveniles and adults feed on
crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...
s and
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
es. These fish typically spawn just prior to the
monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...
season. It is believed that the giant pangasius prey on shrimp, crabs, and fish and hideout in deep areas in rivers. Since the fish lives on the bottom, it is also known to feed on larger animals' carcasses. Due to it being both an apex predator and a bottom-dwelling fish, it limits the populations of smaller fish as many catfish species. ''P. sanitwongsei's'' role in the ecosystem is the top predator, therefore inflicts top down control on the population. Top predators aid in the limitation of smaller organisms and in this case they prey on smaller fish keeping the smaller fish in check. Without these carnivorous predators, the smaller fish could overpopulate and throw the food chain into imbalance. Due to overharvesting, the native fish population may increase since ''P. sanitwongseis population is declining. ''P. sanitwongsei'' undergo seasonal migration within the rivers it inhabits.


Life history

Little is known of the reproduction of ''P. sanitwongsei,'' but the time of spawning happens in the months of April and May. It is predicted that spawning happens in the rivers where they are found; they are not believed to be migrating from outside the river when getting ready to spawn. Eggs and sperm are usually
released Released may refer to: * Released (Jade Warrior album), ''Released'' (Jade Warrior album), 1971 * Released (Patti LaBelle album), ''Released'' (Patti LaBelle album), 1980 * ''Released: 1985–1995'', an album by Kronos Quartet, 1995 * ''Released'' ...
in a muddier area to prevent eggs from sticking to each other. The number of eggs per spawning session is around 600 (with a diameter of 2–2.5mm) and the brood shows low
genetic variation Genetic variation is the difference in DNA among individuals or the differences between populations among the same species. The multiple sources of genetic variation include mutation and genetic recombination. Mutations are the ultimate sources ...
. Like many fish, there is no parental care. This fish's lifespan isn't known, but it is known that it grows fast and usually the trend is when it grows fast, it dies quickly. The possible reasoning for this could be the fact that there is over-fishing of the species.


Relationship to humans

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
of this species used to be accompanied by religious ceremonies and
rite Rite may refer to: Religion * Ritual, an established ceremonious act * Rite (Christianity), sacred rituals in the Christian religion * Ritual family, Christian liturgical traditions; often also called ''liturgical rites'' * Catholic particular ch ...
s. It is often mentioned in textbooks, news media, and popular press. This fish is a popular food fish and marketed fresh. This fish is important to many locals that reside in the regions where the rivers run through as this is an important food source. Many fishing villages rely on the organisms that reside in the river to provide food for their family as well as a source of income as they can sell them at markets. Due to this fish's large range, it can show us migratory pathways and spawning habits and areas that should be protected, and other areas that can be harvested. This species of fish is also important to fisheries as it can grow to large sizes, even in captivity, and build an economy that relies heavily on fish and other water species. This was a significant reason why it was introduced to rivers in South Africa. In addition to fishing for religious purposes, they are also hunted for sport as they are the largest of their kind. They are considered trophy fish and are hunted for prestige and fame. The downside is that these individuals are the most fecund and mature which leads to a decrease in population if too many are harvested at one time. This further makes them a topic of conservation as they play key roles in their ecosystem. These fish sometimes appear in the
aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
fish hobby. Most specimens do not reach their full size without an extremely large aquarium or pond. There is even a "balloon" form of this fish where the fish has an unusually short and stocky body.


Conservation

This fish is highly protected and has a high conservation value and is banned from being fished through all seasons. The fish is being threatened by
overharvesting Overexploitation, also called overharvesting or ecological overshoot, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Continued overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource, as it will be unable to ...
,
damming A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
of rivers, and
pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...
. Their population continues to decline as there are not many legislations and enforcement toward this species. A common threat to these large organisms is dams and segmentation of the Mekong River. The Paroon shark travels upstream to spawn and resides downstream. The construction of dams leads to segmentation of the natural habitat, preventing their migration up and down the river. Even though the bodies of water are interconnected these fish are not capable of swimming through walls to get to their natural breeding sites. To control the amount of overharvesting (via fishing) that occurs certain size and catch limits can be put in place. In 1989, the Paroon shark was listed as a class II protected species by the government of
Yunnan Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
, China. The issue is that the habitat of this species lies in multiple countries' domains including Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Restrictions in parts of the river that reside in China's territory, leave the other parts to be unprotected. A known breeding practice, to try and help the population, is being practiced by the Thai government. A halt on harvesting has been recommended until ''P. sanitwongseis population can rise to a safe level. Even though these fish are grown in a safe fishery, this can reduce the
genetic diversity Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It ranges widely, from the number of species to differences within species, and can be correlated to the span of survival for a species. It is d ...
between them making them more susceptible to disease as well as environmental stress. There are some groups in the Asian continent who have been trying to protect and conserve the wildlife in these regions including the Asian Species Action Partnership (ASAP),
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...
(WWF), and the
Species Survival Commission The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...
(SSC), part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The giant pangasius is considered an
umbrella species Umbrella species are species selected for making wildlife conservation, conservation-related decisions, typically because protecting these species indirectly protects the many other species that make up the ecological community (ecology), communit ...
in conservation. Protecting this species would provide protection for species that inhabit the same region. With this tactic, a whole ecosystem can be preserved. Due to this area being an area that is highly fished commercially and locally, certain regulations can be put in place to manage the size of the fish that can be caught allowing mature adults to reproduce with greater success.


See also

*
List of freshwater aquarium fish species A vast number of freshwater species have successfully adapted to live in aquariums. This list gives some examples of the most common species found in home aquariums. Siluriformes, Catfish Characiformes, Characoids Cichl ...


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133444 Pangasiidae Freshwater fish of Southeast Asia Fish of Thailand Fish described in 1931 Taxa named by Hugh McCormick Smith