Sperata seenghala, the Giant river-catfish, is a species of bagrid catfish. It is known locally as Guizza, Guizza ayer, Auri, Ari, Pogal, Singhara and Seenghala, among other names.[3] It is found in southern Asia in the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh with reports of occurrence in Myanmar,[2] Thailand and Yunnan, China. It can reach a length of 150 cm (4 ft 11 in), though lengths up to 40 cm (1 ft 4 in) are more usual. It is commercially fished for human consumption as well as being a popular gamefish with a reputation for being a good fighter when hooked. It is carnivorous in diet. It can be distinguished from other Sperata species by its spatulate, blunt snout, relatively short barbels and mouth that is only 1/3 as wide as the head is long.[4]
References
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Sperata seenghala". FishBase. December 2011 version.
- ^ Ng, H.H. (2010). "Sperata seenghala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T166476A6217203. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166476A6217203.en. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ a b W. Ratanatrivong; N. Anurakchanachai; P. Rungpiboonsophit. "Breeding and nursing of Asiatic shovelnose catfish, Aorichthys seenghala (Sykes, 1841)". fao.org.
- ^ "Giant river catfish, Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839)". BdFISH.
- ^ Bhattacharjee, M. J.; Laskar, B. A.; Dhar, B.; Ghosh, S. K. (2012). Schierwater, Bernd (ed.). "Identification and Re-Evaluation of Freshwater Catfishes through DNA Barcoding". PLOS ONE. 7 (11): e49950. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...749950B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049950. PMC 3499493. PMID 23166801.