Ikan Mas

Habitat

Carp exploit large and small man made and natural
reservoirs, and pools in slow or fast moving streams.
They prefer larger, slower-moving bodies of water
with soft sediments but they are tolerant and hardy fish
that thrive in a wide variety of aquatic habitats.
(Froese and Pauly, 2002; Page and Burr, 1991)

Physical Description

Carp often grow 30 to 60 cm in length and weigh 0.5 to 4 kg (Tomelleri and Eberle 1990);
it is not uncommon for common carp to reach 15 to 20 kg (McCrimmon 1968).
Males are usually distinguished from females by the larger
ventral fin. Carp are characterized by their deep body and serrated dorsal spine (Nelson 1984).
The mouth is terminal on the adult and subterminal on the young (Page and Burr 1991).
Color and proportions are extremely variable, but scales are always large and thick.
Three sub-species with slightly different scale patterns are recognized. C. carpio communis
(scale carp) has regular concentric scales, C. carpio specularis (mirror carp) large scales
running along the side of the body in several rows with the rest of the body naked,
and C. carpio coiaceus (leather carp) with few or no scales on the back and a thick skin
(McCrimmon 1968). (McCrimmon, 1968; Nelson, 1984; Page and Burr, 1991; Tomelleri and Eberle,1990)


Reproduction

Carp generally spawn in the spring and early summer depending upon the climate.
They segregate into groups in the shallows to spawn. Carp prefer shallow waters with
dense macrophyte cover. Males externally fertilize eggs, which the females scatter over
macrophytes in a very active manner. The eggs stick to the substrate upon which they are scatter
ed. A typical female (about 45 cm) may produce 300,000 eggs, with some estimates as high as
one million over the breeding season. Incubation is related to water temperature and has been
documented at three days at temperatures of 25 to 32C. Fry average 5 to 5.5 mm in total length.
Temperature, stocking density, and availability of food influence individual growth.
By the time the fish reach 8 mm the yolk has disappeared and they begin to actively feed.
Males typically become sexually mature at 3 to 5 years and females at 4 to 5 years.
(Froese and Pauly, 2002; McCrimmon, 1968


Breeding/spawning season
spring and early summer; year round in tropical areas

Number of offspring
300000 (average)

Time to hatching
4 days (high)

Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
3 to 5 years

Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
3 to 5 years



Lifespan/Longevity
Extreme lifespan (wild)
13 to 20 years

Extreme lifespan (captivity)
47 years (high)

Average lifespan (captivity)
47 years
[External Source: AnAge]


Lifespan/Longevity

There is a report of a common carp living an astounding 47 years, probably in captivity.
Other reports of 17 to 20 years are probably more typical. (Froese and Pauly, 2002)


Behavior

Carp can typically be found in small schools, although larger carp often lead a solitary
existence. (Smith, 1991)


Food Habits
Carp are primarily selective benthic omnivores that specialize on invertebrates that
live in the sediments (Lammens and Hoogenboezem 1991). Newly hatched carp initially feed on
zooplankton; specifically rotifers, copepods, and algae (McCrimmon 1968). Young of year carp
feed on a variety of macroinvertebrates including chironomids, caddis flies, mollusks, ostracods,
and crustaceans (McCrimmon 1968). Adult carp are known to eat a wide variety of organisms
including, insects, crustaceans, annelids, mollusks, fish eggs, fish remains, and plant tubers
and seeds (McCrimmon 1968, Lammens and Hoogenboezem, 1991). Carp feed by sucking up mud from
the bottom ejecting it and them selectively consuming items while they are suspended
(McCrimmon 1968). The feeding galleries of carp are easily recognized in shallow waters as
depressions in the sediment (Cahn 1929). (Cahn, 1929; Lammens and Hoogenboezem, 1991; McCrimmon,
1968)


Animal Foods:
fish; eggs; carrion ; insects; mollusks; terrestrial worms; aquatic crustaceans; zooplankton .

Plant Foods:
leaves; roots and tubers; seeds, grains, and nuts; algae; macroalgae .



Predation

Predators on young carp include large fish such as northern pike, muskellunge, walleye, and
largemouth bass. (Froese and Pauly, 2002; Baldry, 2000) Birds such as great blue herons
probably also eat them. Adults have no predators other than people. (Baldry, 2000; Froese
and Pauly, 2002)

Ecosystem Roles

The unique method of feeding employed by common carp has important ecological implications.
The feeding of carp has been shown to decimate macrophytes and decreases overall water quality
(Drenner et al. 1997). Carp tend to reduce macrophyte biomass in three ways; 1) Bioturbation-
Carp often uproot aquatic macrophytes when feeding, 2) Direct Consumption- Carp have been known
to feed on tubers and young shoots, 3) Indirectly by increasing turbidity which in turn limits
the available sunlight (Lougheed et al. 1997, Fletcher et al. 1985). Carp have been shown to
decrease water quality by increasing turbidity and increasing the amount of nutrients in the
water column (Lamarra, 1975; Brabrand et al. 1990). Carp increase turbidity directly by resuspend
ing sediments and indirectly by increasing nutrients and thus increasing phytoplankton in the
water column. Carp increase nutrients in the water column in two ways. A minimal amount of
nutrients are introduced into the water column directly by sediment resuspension but the majority
of carp introduced nutrients are acquired by excretion (Lamarra, 1975; Brabrand et al. 1990).
Carp act as "nutrient pumps" when they consume the nutrient rich benthic sediments and then
excrete those nutrients back into the water column in a form that is available to other organisms
ency to cause a general decay in water quality and the high fecundity of the carp has caused them
to be generally regarded as a nuisance (McCrimmon 1968; Page et al. 1991). (Brabrand, Faafeng,
and Nilssen, 1990; Drenner, Smith, and Threlkeld, 1996; Fletcher, Morison, and Hume, 1985; Lamar
ra, 1975; Lougheed, Crosbie, and Chow-Fraser, 1998; McCrimmon, 1968; Page and Burr, 1991)
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Common carp are an introduced species throughout most of the world and are generally considered
a nuisance. (Smith, 1991)

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Carp are an important food fish throughout most of the world except for in Australia and
North America where the fish is considered unpalatable (McCrimmon 1968; Banarescu and Coad 1991). The world catch rate of carp per year exceeds 200,000 tons (Banarescu and Coad 1991). The more colorful carp, called Koi, are bred in captivity and sold as ornamental pond fish. (Banarescu and Coad, 1991; McCrimmon, 1968)

Lobster

compose a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans.
Lobsters are economically important as seafood, forming the basis of a global industry
that nets US$1.8 billion in trade annually[citation needed].

Though several different groups of crustaceans are known as "lobsters,"
the clawed lobsters are most often associated with the name. Clawed lobsters are not closely
related with spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters, which have no claws (chelae), or squat lobsters.
The closest relatives of clawed lobsters are the reef lobster Enoplometopus and
the three families of freshwater crayfish.

Biology

Lobsters are invertebrates and are found all over the world. They have a hard protective
exoskeleton. Like most arthropods, lobsters must molt in order to grow, leaving them
vulnerable during this time. During the molting process, several species may experience
a change in color.
Lobsters live on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms from the shoreline to beyond the edge
of the continental shelf. They generally live singly in crevices or in burrows under rocks.
Lobsters typically eat live food, consisting of fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms,
and some plant life. Occasionally, they will scavenge if necessary, and may resort to
cannibalism in captivity; however, this has not been observed in the wild. Lobster skin
in the stomachs of lobsters has been found before, although this is because lobsters will eat their shed skin after molting.Lobsters grow throughout their lives and it is not unusual for a lobster to live for more than 100 years. In fact, lobsters may exhibit "negligible senescence", in that they can effectively live indefinitely, barring injury, disease, capture, etc. They can thus reach impressive sizes. According to the Guinness World Records, the largest lobster was caught in Nova Scotia, Canada, and weighed 20.15 kg (44.4 lb).

Being arthropods, lobsters are largely bilaterally symmetrical; clawed lobsters often possess unequal, specialized claws, like the king crab. A freshly caught lobster will have a claw that is full and fleshy, not atrophied. The anatomy of the lobster includes the cephalothorax which is the head fused with the thorax, both of which are covered by the carapace, of chitinous composition, and the abdomen. The lobster's head consists of antennae, antennules, mandibles, the first and second maxillae, and the first, second, and third maxillipeds. Because a lobster lives in a murky environment at the bottom of the ocean, its vision is poor and it mostly uses its antennae as sensors. Studies have shown that the lobster eye is formed with a reflective structure atop a convex retina. In contrast, most complex eyes use refractive ray concentrators (lenses) and a concave retina. The abdomen of the lobster includes swimmerets and its tail is composed of uropods and the telson.

Inside lobsters is a green goopy substance called tomalley, which serves as the hepatopancreas, fulfilling the functions of both liver and pancreas.
In general, lobsters move slowly by walking on the bottom of the sea floor. However, when they are in danger and need to flee, they swim backwards quickly by curling and uncurling their abdomen. A speed of 5 meters per second (about 11 mph) has been recorded.


Gastronomy

Lobster is a valued foodstuff; well-known recipes include Lobster Newberg and Lobster Thermidor. Lobster is best eaten fresh, and they are normally purchased live. Lobsters are usually shipped and sold with their claws banded to prevent them from injuring each other or the purchaser. Lobsters cannot open and close the claws when they are banded, which causes the claws to begin to atrophy inside the shell. Recently banded lobsters will not show this, and the claws will be full. Many restaurants that serve lobster keep a tank of the live creatures, often allowing patrons to pick their own.

Lobsters are generally prepared and cooked while they are still alive, even though both claws may have been removed. Most cooks place the live lobster into a pot of boiling water or steam which kills it. Lobsters are also served fried, grilled, or baked. Freezing the lobster may toughen the meat.

When boiling, the lobster is simmerred for 7 minutes for the first pound and 3 minutes for each additional pound.


The majority of the meat is in the tail and the two front claws, but smaller quantities can be found in the legs and torso. Lobster can be boiled or steamed, or used in a wide array of dishes and salads. It can be served as soup or bisque or mixed with mayonnaise or salad dressing for lobster rolls. Lobster meat is often dipped in melted butter, resulting in a sweetened flavor.


The European wild lobster, including the royal blue lobster of Audresselles, is more expensive and rare than the American lobster. It was consumed chiefly by the royal and aristocratic families of France and the Netherlands. Such scenes were depicted in Dutch paintings of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

In North America prior to the 20th century, local lobster was not a popular food. In the Maritimes, eating lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for slaves or lower members of society. Lobsters were also used as a fertilizer for farms. Outside of the rural outports lobster was sold canned.

The market for lobster changed with the development of the modern transportation industry that allowed live lobsters to be shipped from the ports to large urban centres. Fresh lobster quickly became a luxury food and a tourist attraction for the Maritime provinces and Maine and an export to Europe and Japan where it is especially expensive.

The high price of lobster has led to the marketing of "faux lobster" which is clearly labeled as such. It is often made from pollock or other whitefish that has been altered to look and taste similar to lobster. A few restaurants sell "langostino lobster". Langostino translates into prawn, however the actual animal is probably a crab. Maine fishermen are upset that restaurants are passing off the fake as lobster. The spiny lobster is also called langouste. Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill sold a "Lobster Burrito" which was made from squat lobster, another crustacean which is very similar to the crab


Lobsters come in a variety of colors including, but not limited to, red, blue, green, purple, yellow, and magenta.


from wikipedia

Salmon

is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the family are called trout. Salmon live in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Great Lakes and other land locked lakes.

Typically, salmon are anadromous: they are born in fresh water, migrate to the ocean, then return to fresh water to reproduce. However, there are rare species that can only survive in fresh water habitats. This is most likely due to the domestication of these certain species of Salmon. Folklore has it that the fish return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn.

Salmon fisheries

The salmon has long been at the heart of the culture and livelihood of coastal dwellers. Most peoples of the Northern Pacific shore had a ceremony to honor the first return of the year. For many centuries, people caught salmon as they swam upriver to spawn. A famous spearfishing site on the Columbia River at Celilo Falls was inundated after great dams were built on the river. The Ainu, of northern Japan, taught dogs how to catch salmon as they returned to their breeding grounds en masse. Now, salmon are caught in bays and near shore.

Salmon population levels are of concern in the Atlantic and in some parts of the Pacific but in Alaska stocks are still abundant. Fish farming is outlawed[citation needed] and the State of Alaska's fisheries management system is viewed as the global leader in the management of wild, sustainable fish stocks.[citation needed] The most important Alaska Salmon sustainable wild fisheries are located near the Kenai River, Copper River, and in Bristol Bay. In Canada, returning Skeena River wild salmon support commercial, aboriginal and recreational fisheries as well as the area's diverse wildlife on the coast and around communities hundreds of miles inland in the watershed. The Columbia River salmon population is now less than 3% of what it was when Lewis and Clark arrived at the river.[1]

Both Atlantic and Pacific Salmon are important to recreat



Life cycle

, the crossing-over to other streams allows salmon to populate new streams, such as those that emerge as a glacier retreats. The precise method salmon use to navigate has not been entirely established, though their keen sense of smell is involved. In all species of Pacific salmon, the mature individuals die within a few days or weeks of spawning, a trait known as semelparity. However, even in those species of salmon that may survive to spawn more than once (iteroparity), post-spawning mortality is quite high (perhaps as high as 40 to 50%.)

In order to lay her roe, the female salmon uses her tail fin to excavate a shallow depression, called a redd. The redd may sometimes contain 5,000 eggs covering 30 square feet (2.8 m²).[2] The eggs usually range from orange to red in color. One or more males will approach the female in her redd, depositing his sperm, or milt, over the roe.[3] The female then covers the eggs by disturbing the gravel at the upstream edge of the depression before moving on to make another redd. The female will make as many as 7 redds before her supply of eggs is exhausted. The salmon then die within a few days of spawning.[3]

The eggs will hatch into alevin or sac fry. The fry quickly develop into parr with camouflaging vertical stripes. The parr stay for one to three years in their natal stream before becoming smolts which are distinguished by their bright silvery colour with scales that are easily rubbed off. It is estimated that only 10% of all salmon eggs survive long enough to reach this stage.[4] The smolt body chemistry changes, allowing them to live in salt water. Smolts spend a portion of their out-migration time in brackish water, where their body chemistry becomes accustomed to osmoregulation in the ocean.

The salmon spend about one to five years (depending on the species) in the open ocean where they will become sexually mature. The adult salmon returns primarily to its natal stream to spawn. When fish return for the first time they are called whitling in the UK and grilse or peel in Ireland. Prior to spawning, depending on the species, the salmon undergoes changes. They may grow a hump, develop canine teeth, develop a kype (a pronounced curvature of the jaws in male salmon). All will change from the silvery blue of a fresh run fish from the sea to a darker color. Condition tends to deteriorate the longer the fish remain in freshwater, and they then deteriorate further after they spawn becoming known as kelts. Salmon can make amazing journeys, sometimes moving hundreds of miles upstream against strong currents and rapids to reproduce. Chinook and sockeye salmon from central Idaho, for example, travel over 900 miles (1,400 km) and climb nearly 7,000 feet (2,100 m) from the Pacific ocean as they return to spawn.

Each year, the fish experiences a period of rapid growth, often in summer, and one of slower growth, normally in winter. This results in rings (annuli) analogous to the growth rings visible in a tree trunk. Freshwater growth shows as densely crowded rings, sea growth as widely spaced rings; spawning is marked by significant erosion as body mass is converted into eggs and milt.

Freshwater streams and estuaries provide important habitat for many salmon species. They feed on terrestrial and aquatic insects, amphipods, and other crustaceans while young, and primarily on other fish when older. Eggs are laid in deeper water with larger gravel, and need cool water and good water flow (to supply oxygen) to the developing embryos. Mortality of salmon in the early life stages is usually high due to natural predation and human induced changes in habitat, such as siltation, high water temperatures, low oxygen conditions, loss of stream cover, and reductions in river flow. Estuaries and their associated wetlands provide vital nursery areas for the salmon prior to their departure to the open ocean. Wetlands not only help buffer the estuary from silt and pollutants, but also provide important feeding and hiding areas. The salmon is eaten almost everywhere in the world.






Salmon as Food



Salmon is a popular food. Consuming salmon is considered to be reasonably healthy due to the fish's high protein, high Omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D[5] content. Salmon is also a source of cholesterol, ranging 23–214 mg/100g depending on the species.[6] According to reports in the journal Science, however, farmed salmon may contain high levels of dioxins. PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) levels may be up to eight times higher in farmed salmon than in wild salmon. Omega-3 content may also be lower than in wild caught individuals, and in a different proportion to what is found naturally. Omega 3 comes in three types, ALA, DHA and EPA; wild salmon has traditionally been an important source of DHA and EPA, which are important for brain function and structure, among other things. This means that if the farmed salmon is fed on a meal which is partially grain then the amount of Omega 3 it contains will be present as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). The body can itself convert ALA Omega 3 into DHA and EPA, but at a very inefficient rate (2–15%). Nonetheless, according to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefits of eating even farmed salmon still outweigh any risks imposed by contaminants [1]. Type of Omega 3 present may not be a factor for other important health functions. A simple rule of thumb is that the vast majority of Atlantic salmon available on the world market are farmed (greater than 99%), whereas the majority of Pacific salmon are wild-caught (greater than 80%). Farmed salmon outnumber wild salmon 85 to 1.[7]
Raw salmon sashimi
Raw salmon sashimi

Salmon flesh is generally orange to red in colour, although there are some examples of white fleshed wild salmon. The natural colour of salmon results from carotenoid pigments, largely astaxanthin (E161j), in the flesh.[8] Wild salmon get these carotenoids from eating krill and other tiny shellfish. Because consumers have shown a reluctance to purchase white fleshed salmon, astaxanthin, and very minutely canthaxanthin (E161g)), are added as artificial colorants to the feed of farmed salmon because prepared diets do not naturally contain these pigments. In most cases the astaxanthin is made chemically; alternatively it is extracted from shrimp flour. Another possibility is the use of dried red yeast, which provides the same pigment. However, synthetic mixtures are the least expensive option. Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant that stimulates the development of healthy fish nervous systems and that enhances the fish's fertility and growth rate. Research has revealed canthaxanthin may have negative effects on the human eye, accumulating in the retina at high levels of consumption.[8] Today the concentration of carotenoids (mainly canthaxanthin and astaxanthin) exceeds 8 mg/kg of flesh and all fish producers try to reach a level that represents a value of 16 on the "Roche Color Card", a colour card used to show how pink the fish will appear at specific doses. This scale is specific for measuring the pink colour due to astaxanthin and is not for the orange hue obtained with canthaxanthin. The development of processing and storage operations, which can be detrimental on canthaxanthin flesh concentration, has led to an increased quantity of pigments added to the diet to compensate for the degrading effects of the processing. In wild fish, carotenoid levels of up to 20–25 mg are present, but levels of canthaxanthin are, in contrast, minor.[8]

Canned salmon in the U.S. is usually wild Pacific catch, though some farmed salmon is available in canned form. Smoked salmon is another popular preparation method, and can either be hot or cold smoked. Lox can refer either to cold smoked salmon or to salmon cured in a brine solution (also called gravlax). Traditional canned salmon includes some skin (which is harmless) and bone (which adds calcium). Skinless and boneless canned salmon is also available.

Raw salmon flesh may contain Anisakis nematodes, marine parasites that cause Anisakiasis. Before the availability of refrigeration, the Japanese did not consume raw salmon. Salmon and salmon roe have only recently come into use in making sashimi (raw fish) and sushi.

SHRIMP

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Order: Decapoda
Suborder: Pleocyemata
Infraorder: Caridea

Dana, 1852

Taxonomy

A number of more or less unrelated crustaceans share the word "shrimp"
in their common name. Examples are the mantis shrimp and the opossum or
mysid shrimp, both of which belong to the same class (Malacostraca)
as the true shrimp, but constitute two different orders within it,
the Stomatopoda and the Mysidacea. Triops longicaudatus and
Triops cancriformis are also popular animals in freshwater aquaria,
and are often called shrimp, although they belong instead to the Notostraca,
a quite unrelated group. About 2000 species of true shrimps are known.

Shrimp are distinguished from the superficially similar prawns by the structure
of the gills, There is, however, much confusion between the two, especially among
non-specialists, and many shrimp are called "prawns" and many prawns are called
"shrimp". This is particularly widespread in culinary contexts.

The easiest way to separate peneaid from caridean is by the second somite.
Caridean's second somite goes over the first and the third,
while peneaid's second somite goes only over the third.



Shrimp as Food

Recipes using shrimp form part of the cuisine of many cultures: examples include shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. Strictly speaking, dishes containing scampi should be made from the Norway lobster, a shrimp-like crustacean more closely related to the lobster than shrimp, but in some places it is quite common for large shrimp to be used instead.

As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp-based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol, from 122 mg to 251 mg per 100 g of shrimp, depending on the method of preparation.[2]

Wet shrimp is commonly used as a flavoring and as a soup base in Asian cuisines while fried shrimp is popular in North America. In Europe, shrimp is very popular, forming a necessary ingredient in Spanish paella de marisco, French bouillabaisse, Italian cacciucco, Portuguese caldeirada and many other seafood dishes. Shrimp curry is very popular in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Shrimp are also found in Latin and Caribbean dishes such as enchiladas and coconut shrimp.
Shrimp and other shellfish are among the most common food allergens.

Distinction From Prawns

While in biological terms prawns are of a distinct biological suborder of Decapoda, in commercial farming and fishery the terms shrimp and prawn are often used interchangeably. In European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, the word “prawns” is more commonly on menus than the term “shrimp”, which is used more often in North America. The term “prawn” is also loosely used to describe any large shrimp, especially those that come 15 (or fewer) to the pound (also called “jumbo shrimp”). Australia and other Commonwealth countries follow this European/British use to an even greater extent, using the word “prawn” almost exclusively. Paul Hogan’s use of the phrase “I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you” in a television advertisement was intended to make what he was saying easier for his American audience to understand, and was thus a deliberate distortion of what an Australian would typically say.



Preparation

Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves removing the head, shell, tail, and "sand vein".

To deshell a shrimp, the tail is held while gently removing the shell around the body. The tail can be detached completely at this point, or left attached for presentation purposes.

Removing the "vein" (a euphemism for the digestive tract) can be referred to as "deveining", though in fact shrimp do not have any real veins; they have an open circulatory system. The "vein" can be removed by making a shallow cut lengthwise down the outer curve of the shrimp's body, allowing the dark ribbon-like digestive tract to be removed with a pointed utensil. Alternatively, if the tail has been detached, the vein can be pinched at the tail end and pulled out completely with the fingers.

The shrimp is then rinsed under cold running water.


Shrimp in Aquaria

Several types of shrimp are kept in home aquaria. Some are purely ornamental, while others are useful in controlling algae and removing debris.[4] Freshwater shrimp commonly available for aquaria include the Japanese marsh shrimp (Caridina multidentata, also called "Amano shrimp," as their use in aquaria was pioneered by Takashi Amano), cherry shrimp (Neocaridina heteropoda), and ghost or glass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.). Popular saltwater shrimp include the cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis, the fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) and the harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera picta).

Pangasius Giga

Pangasius Giga

Author:(Chevey 1931)
Fishbase Name:Giant catfish
Class:Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order:Siluriformes (catfish)
Family:Pangasiidae

Synonyms:
Helicophagus hypophthalmus ((non Sauvage 1878)):misidentification
Pangasianodon gigas (Chevey 1931):original combination
Pangasius gigas ((Chevey 1931)):new combination
Pangasius paucidens (Fang & Chaux 1949):junior synonym

Common Name:
Mekong giant catfish (English)
Giant catfish (English)
Patin Raksasa (Indonesia)
Pa beuk (Laotian)
Pla buk (Thai)
Cá Dâ`u, Cá Hat (Vietnamese)
Giant catfish (AFS/English)
Trey réach (Khmer)
Pla ma fai (Thai)
Pla nang (Thai)
Pla hua kum hang hum (Thai)

Comments: Distinguished from other large catfish in the Mekong by its lack of teeth and the almost complete absence of barbels; feeds only on vegetation in the river but takes other food in captivity; little known on its general pattern of life and migratory journeys for spawning (Ref. 2686). Cited in the Guinness Book of Records as largest freshwater fish (Ref. 6472).

Fishbase Occurences: 0

Pangasius hypophthalmus

Pangasius hypophthalmus
Common Names: Iridescent Shark
Pangasius Catfish
Synonyms: Helicophagus hypophthalmus
Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Family: Pangasiidae
Category: Catfish_and_Bottom_Feeders
Distribution: Asia; Southeast Asia. Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam
Main Ecosystem: River; Fast-flowing rivers
Temperament: Peaceful; These fish are very peaceful, but are also quite shy and can easily be scared. The iridescent shark is a shoaling catfish which should be kept in groups to relieve stress.
Diet: Omnivore; Ominvore
Care: They are difficult fish to care for, despite their being easy to acquire. They grow very large, and easily outgrow even large tanks. As they are fairly active swimmers, they need a lot of open space in their tank. Floating plants seem to reduce this fish's nervousness, as they provide shade. Bright lighting is unnecessary and even harmful, as it will make the fish skittish.
pH:
6.0 - 7.5

Temperature:
22C - 26C

(72F - 79F)
Hardness:
2 - 29 dH

Potential Size: Male: 130cm (51.2")
Female: 130cm (51.2")
Water Region: Middle Bottom; Middle-Bottom
Activity: Nocturnal; Nocturnal
Gender: Males of this species have darker stripes and are more slender than the females.
Breeding: Breeding in a home aquarium has never been accomplished, and is probably impossible in such a small area.
Variants: The iridescent shark can be purchased in an albino form and an artificially dyed form. The dyeing process is very harmful to the fish and should not be supported.
Comments: These fish can be quite nervous are easily spooked, and have very bad eyesight. Not recommended for home aquaria because of the large size they attain.
Main Colours: Black, Grey, White
Markings: Striped Horizontal
Mouth: Normal
Tail: Forked