| Giant Lake Biwa catfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Siluridae |
| Genus: | Silurus |
| Species: | S. biwaensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Silurus biwaensis Tomoda, 1961 | |
Silurus biwaensis, the giant Lake Biwa catfish, is a large predatory catfish species endemic to Lake Biwa in Japan.
The giant Lake Biwa catfish is very similar to wels catfish, which it is closely related to. It has an elongated cylindrical body and can reach up to 1.18 m (3 ft 10 in) in length and weigh as much as 17 kg (37 lb). [1] The top of the body is dark grey to black in colour while the underside is a pale, whitish colour.
They prey on fish and frogs which live in the lake. S. biwaensis is the largest predatory fish in Lake Biwa. [2] Using telemetry methods researchers tried to explain the migratory behavior of the species. It was found that the fish are more or less site-faithful and mostly stay close to their spawning grounds. [3] Other studies have shown that the sub-populations of the lake hardly mix. [4]
Some fishermen believe that the catfish change their behavior and become very active when an earthquake is imminent. [5] In Japanese mythology, a giant catfish named Namazu causes earthquakes as he moves below the Earth's surface. [6]
Catfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia, the wels catfish of Eurasia, and the piraíba of South America, to detritivores, and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa. Neither the armour-plated types nor the naked types have scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels or "whiskers". Members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. Many catfish are nocturnal, but others are crepuscular or diurnal.
Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan. It is located entirely within Shiga Prefecture, northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world. Because of its proximity to Kyoto, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.
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