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Important food fish and is often referred to in textbooks and popular press or news media. Threatened due to over harvesting, habitat loss and pollution. Fishery used to be accompanied by rites and ceremonies of a religious nature. Description: Fins are pigmented with dusky melanophores. First soft ray in dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins prolonged into a filament. Broad head; black tips on first few anal-fin rays in individuals of all sizes, particularly in juveniles; palatine and vomerine teeth united into a single long crescentic patch. Mouth wide, its width 5.5-5.9 times in SL. Habitat: Inhabits large rivers. Juveniles are found in larger tributaries. Reproduction: A migratory species which spawns just before the rainy season and the young of the year reach a length of about 10 cm by mid-June. Diet: Both young and adults feeds on fishes and crustaceans. Larger individuals have been known to feed on carcasses of fowl or dog (which are commonly used for bait). Remarks: This catfish is not really recommended for the home aquarium as they grow too big and have special requirements that we as aquarists can never attain. Do not buy from Fish stores if they are labeled as such, or as Pangasius species.

Giant Pangasius, Paroon Shark

Pangasius beani

Pangasiidae

Asia: Chao Phraya and Mekong river basins. Type locality: Menam Chao Phya at Koh Yai, Central Siam.

250.0cm. (8ft.4ins)

22-26°C (71-79°F)

7.0-8.5.

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (02/2010).