Giant catfish

The giant catfish (Netuma thalassina), also known as the giant sea catfish, giant salmon catfish, giant marine-catfish, or the khagga,[2] is a species of catfish in the family Ariidae.[3] It was described by Eduard Rüppell in 1837, originally under the genus Bagrus.[1] It inhabits estuaries and occasionally freshwater bodies, in Japan, Australia, Polynesia, southern Vietnam in the Mekong Delta, the Red Sea and the northwestern Indian Ocean. It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 195 m (33 to 640 ft).[3] It reaches a maximum total length of 185 cm (73 in), but usually reaches a TL of 70 cm (28 in).

Not to be confused with Giant sea catfish.

Giant catfish
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Ariidae
Genus: Netuma
Species:
N. thalassina
Binomial name
Netuma thalassina
(Rüppell, 1837)
Synonyms[1]
  • Arius thalassinus (Rüppell, 1837)
  • Arius nasutus Valenciennes, 1840
  • Arius andamanensis Day, 1871
  • Arius serratus Day, 1877
  • Ariodes aeneus Sauvage, 1883
  • Bagrus thalassinus Rüppell, 1837
  • Bagrus carchariorhynchos Bleeker, 1846
  • Bagrus carchariorhijnchos Bleeker, 1846
  • Bagrus netuma Valenciennes, 1840
  • Bagrus laevigatus Valenciennes, 1840
  • Netuma thalassinus (Rüppell, 1837)
  • Netuna thalassina (Rüppell, 1837)
  • Netuma thalassina jacksonensis Whitley, 1941
  • Tachysurus thalassinus (Rüppell, 1837)
  • Tachysurus serratus (Day, 1877)

The diet of the giant catfish includes crustaceans such as crabs, shrimp, prawns and stomatopods; worms, finfish, cephalopods, sea cucumbers, and mollusks.[4][5][6] It spawns between April and August.[7]

The giant catfish is harvested commercially and recreationally.[3]

References
  1. Synonyms of Netuma thalassina at www.fishbase.org.
  2. Common names of Netuma thalassina at www.fishbase.org.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Netuma thalassina" in FishBase. May 2019 version.
  4. Food items reported for Netuma thalassina at www.fishbase.org.
  5. Food and Feeding Habits Summary Netuma thalassina, 1 at www.fishbase.org.
  6. Food and Feeding Habits Summary Netuma thalassina, 2 at www.fishbase.org.
  7. Spawning for Netuma thalassina at www.fishbase.org.


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