Clarias

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Clarias
Temporal range: Lower Pliocene - recent
Clarias batrachus.jpg
Walking catfish, Clarias batrachus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Clariidae
Genus: Clarias
Scopoli, 1777
Type species
Silurus anguillaris
Species

Many, see text.

Synonyms
  • ChlariasScopoli, 1777
  • Macropteronotus La Cepède, 1803
  • ClariasCuvier, 1816
  • CossyphusM’Clelland, 1844
  • PhagorusM’Clelland, 1844
  • Dinotopteroides Fowler, 1930
  • ProphagorusSmith, 1939
  • AnguilloclariasTeugels, 1982
  • BrevicephaloidesTeugels, 1982
  • ClarioidesTeugels, 1982
  • PlatycephaloidesTeugels, 1982

Clarias is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek chlaros, which means lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water. [1]

Contents

Taxonomy

Clarias has been found to be paraphyletic. A species of Heterobranchus (H. longifilis) clusters deeply inside the Clarias group. [2]

Distribution

They are found in inland waters throughout much of the Old World, and are one of the most widespread catfish genera in the world. [3] [4] The genus is found in Southeast Asia and East Asia westwards through India and the Asia Minor to Africa. [5] The diversity of these catfishes is highest in Africa. [6] Some (notably the walking catfish) have become pest species where they have been accidentally introduced, and particularly in Cuba, where their introduction was intentional.

Description

Clarias species are recognized by their long-based dorsal and anal fins, which give them a rather eel-like appearance. These fish have slender bodies, a flat, bony head, and a broad, terminal mouth with four pairs of barbels. They also have a large, accessory breathing organ composed of modified gill arches. [3] [5] Also, only the pectoral fins have spines. [7]

Species

There are currently 62 species recognized in this genus:

African species

Clarias liocephalus Clarias liocephalus.jpg
Clarias liocephalus
Clarias stappersii collected in Lavushi Manda National Park, Zambia by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity Clarias stappersii Boulenger, 1915 collected in Lavushi Manda National Park, Zambia by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity.jpg
Clarias stappersii collected in Lavushi Manda National Park, Zambia by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity

Asian species

Clarias batrachus from Lumajang Regency, East Java, Indonesia Clari batra 110829-16971 jtg.JPG
Clarias batrachus from Lumajang Regency, East Java, Indonesia
Clarias nieuhofii from East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Clari nieuh 090810-10611 klr.jpg
Clarias nieuhofii from East Kotawaringin, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Clarias pseudoleiacanthus Pseudoleiacanthus.png
Clarias pseudoleiacanthus

Fossil species

Importance to economy

Yam pladuk fu (Thai: yamplaadukfuu ): shredded and deep fried Clarias (pla duk) catfish with salad Yum pladook foo.jpg
Yam pladuk fu (Thai : ยำปลาดุกฟู): shredded and deep fried Clarias (pla duk) catfish with salad
Pecel lele, an Indonesian-style deep fried Clarias (lele); usually sold as street food Pecel Lele 1.JPG
Pecel lele , an Indonesian-style deep fried Clarias (lele); usually sold as street food

Many of the species are of great economic importance in both fisheries and fish culture. [6]

Invasive species

Clarias catfish and primarily Clarias batrachus (walking catfish) have been introduced to many different areas of the world, where they are causing problems for the native wildlife. The effect of introduction of these fish varies from area to area, but as they are predatory, they often affect the local wildlife by eating other fish, birds, and amphibians. In Florida, the fish are causing problems by invading aquaculture farms and preying on the fish cultivated there. [16] Countries where one or several Clarias species have been introduced include Indonesia, the United States, Hong Kong, China, UK, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Cuba.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airbreathing catfish</span> Family of fishes

Airbreathing catfish comprise the family Clariidae of the order Siluriformes. Sixteen genera and about 117 species of clariid fishes are described; all are freshwater species. Other groups of catfish also breathe air, such as the Callichthyidae and Loricariidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking catfish</span> Species of fish

The walking catfish is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish native to Southeast Asia. It is named for its ability to "walk" and wiggle across dry land, to find food or suitable environments. While it does not truly walk as most bipeds or quadrupeds do, it can use its pectoral fins to keep it upright as it makes a wiggling motion with snakelike movements to traverse land. This fish normally lives in slow-moving and often stagnant waters in ponds, swamps, streams, and rivers, as well as in flooded rice paddies, or temporary pools that may dry up. When this happens, its "walking" skill allows the fish to move to other aquatic environments. Considerable taxonomic confusion surrounds this species and it has frequently been confused with other close relatives. One main distinction between the walking catfish and the native North American ictalurid catfish with which it sometimes is confused, is that the walking catfish lacks an adipose fin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisoridae</span> Family of fishes

Sisoridae is a family of catfishes. These Asian catfishes live in fast-moving waters and often have adaptations that allow them to adhere to objects in their habitats. The family includes about 235 species.

<i>Clarias nieuhofii</i> Species of fish

Clarias nieuhofii, the slender walking catfish, is a species of clariid catfish. It has a wide distribution in Southeast Asia including southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, parts of the Greater Sunda Islands, and the Philippines.

Clarias nigricans is a species of clariid catfish. It is only known from the Mahakam River in eastern Borneo. The eel-like catfish of this region were long assumed to belong to the widespread species Clarias nieuhofii but examination of 6 specimens purchased from a fish market in Samarinda in 1999 and preserved specimens from the same location revealed consistent and distinctive differences indicating a separate species.

<i>Akysis</i> Genus of catfish

Akysis is the largest genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae.

Clarias batu is a species of clariid catfish. It is only known from Tioman Island off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The eel-like catfish found on this island were originally identified as the widespread species Clarias nieuhofii but comparison of a large series of specimens from Tioman with a series of C. nieuhofii from the mainland revealed consistent and distinctive differences indicating a separate species.

Leiocassis is a genus of bagrid catfishes found mostly in Southeast Asia with some species occurring in China.

Pseudomystus is a genus of catfishes of the family Bagridae.

<i>Pseudecheneis</i> Genus of fishes

Pseudecheneis is a genus of sisorid catfishes native to Asia.

Platyclarias machadoi is the only species in the genus Platyclarias of catfishes of the family Clariidae. It originates from the upper Cuango River in Angola. It reaches up to 20.1 centimetres (7.9 in) TL. P. machadoi is easily identified among the clariids due to its extremely flattened head relative to other clariids.

<i>Clarias magur</i> Species of fish

Clarias magur is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish from India and Bangladesh. It was recognized as species distinct from Clarias batrachus in 2008.

<i>Clarias kapuasensis</i>

Clarias kapuasensis is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It has been described from the upper part of the River Kapuas

<i>Clarias pseudoleiacanthus</i> Species of catfish

Clarias peudoleiacanthus is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It has been described from the southern lower parts of the River Kapuas (Western Kalimantan and coastal areas near the Barito River in southern Kalimantan, Indonesia

<i>Clarias intermedius</i> Species of catfish

Clarias intermedius is a species of clariid catfish from Indonesian Borneo. It has been described from Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, between the Sampit and Barito rivers.

Clarias pseudonieuhofii is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It has been currently described from the upper basin of the Kapuas River in West Kalimantan, in a geographic area bordering Sentarum Lake. It has been differed from C. nieuhofii by comparing the holotypes and paratypes from specimens of C. nieuhofii from Sumatra.

Clarias anfractus is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It is known from the Segama and Kalabakan drainages in Sabah, Northeastern Borneo.

Clarias planiceps is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It is known from tributaries all over Sarawak, and possibly up to Kapuas Hulu Regency.

Clarias insolitus is a catfish within the genus Clarias, found in the upper drainage of the Barito River, in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.

References

  1. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). Species of Clarias in FishBase . December 2011 version.
  2. ↑ Mwita, CJ; Nkwengulila, G. (2008). "Molecular phylogeny of the clariid fishes of Lake Victoria, Tanzania, inferred from cytochrome b DNA sequences". Journal of Fish Biology. 73 (5): 1139–1148. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.01935.x.
  3. 1 2 3 Ng, Heok Hee (2003). "Clarias insolitus, a new species of clariid catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from southern Borneo" (PDF). Zootaxa . 284: 1–8. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.284.1.1 . Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  4. 1 2 Ng, Heok Hee (2001). "Clarias microstomus, a New Species of Clariid Catfish from Eastern Borneo (Teleostei: Siluriformes)" (PDF). Zoological Studies. 40 (2): 158–162. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  5. 1 2 3 Lim, Kelvin K. P.; Ng, H. H. (1999). "Clarias batu, a New Species of Catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Pulau Tioman, Peninsular Malaysia" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology (6): 157–167. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  6. 1 2 3 Teugels, Guy G.; Sudarto; Pouyaud, Laurent (2001). "Description of a New Clarias Species from Southeast Asia Based on Morphological and Genetical Evidence (Siluriformes, Clariidae)" (PDF). 25 (1): 81–92. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-26. Retrieved 2009-06-24.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. 1 2 Sudarto; Teugels, Guy G.; Pouyaud, Laurent (2004). "Description of a New Clariid Catfish, Clarias pseudonieuhofii from West Borneo (Siluriformes: Clariidae)" (PDF). Zoological Studies. 43 (1): 8–19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  8. ↑ Guy G. Teugels (2003). "Clarias lamottei (Siluriformes, Clariidae), a Naturel Intergeneric Hybrid from West Africa" (PDF). Cybium 2003, 27(1): 11-15. Teugels, Guy. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  9. ↑ Maxwell J. Bernt & Melanie L.J. Stiassny (2022). "A New Species of Air-Breathing Catfish (Clariidae: Clarias) from Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo". American Museum Novitates 2022(3990). Bernt, Maxwell J. & Stiassny, Melanie L.J. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  10. 1 2 Ng Heok Hee (1999). "Two New Species of Catfishes of the Genus Clarias from Borneo (Teleostei: Clariidae)". Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore. H. H. Ng. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  11. ↑ Ng, H. H.; Dang, K. H. & Nguyen, V. T. (2011). "Clarias gracilentus, a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Vietnam and Cambodia" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2823: 61–68. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2823.1.4.
  12. 1 2 Tomy Sudarto; Guy Teugels & Laurent Pouyaud (March 2003). "Description of two new Clarias species from Borneo (Siluriformes, Clariidae)". Cybium: international journal of ichthyology. Tomy Sudarto, Guy Teugels, & Laurent Pouyaud. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Ng HH & Hadiaty Rk (2011) Clarias microspilus, a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3(3): 1577-1584. http://www.threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2011/March/ng.htm Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ Ng, Heok Hee (2003). "Clarias nigricans, a New Species of Clariid Catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Eastern Borneo" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 51 (2): 393–398. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2009-06-24.
  15. ↑ Ng, H.H. & Kottelat, M. (2014): Clarias serniosus, a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Laos. Zootaxa, 3884 (5): 437–444.
  16. ↑ issg Database: ecology of Clarias batrachus
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