Sperata seenghala

Sperata seenghala
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Bagridae
Genus: Sperata
Species:
S. seenghala
Binomial name
Sperata seenghala
(Sykes, 1839)
Synonyms[1]
  • Sperata sarwari (Mirza, Nawaz & Javed, 1992)
  • Aorichthys seenghala (Sykes, 1841)

Sperata seenghala, the Giant river-catfish, is a species of bagrid catfish. It is known locally as Guizza, Guizza ayer, Auri, Ari, Pogal, Singhara and Seenghala, among other names.[2] It is found in southern Asia in the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh with reports of occurrence in Myanmar,[1] Thailand and Yunnan, China. It can reach a length of 150 cm, though lengths up to 40 cm are more usual. It is commercially fished for human consumption as well as being a popular gamefish with a reputation for being a good fighter when hooked. It is carnivorous in diet. It can be distinguished from other sperata species by its spatulate, blunt snout, relatively short barbels and mouth that is only 1/3 as wide as the head is long.[3]

Sperata seenghala
dorsal view of head showing snout shape
  1. ^ a b W. Ratanatrivong, N. Anurakchanachai and P. Rungpiboonsophit. "Breeding and nursing of Asiatic shovelnose catfish, Aorichthys seenghala (Sykes, 1841)". fao.org.
  2. ^ Giant river catfish, Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839).BdFISH
  3. ^ Bhattacharjee, M. J.; Laskar, B. A.; Dhar, B.; Ghosh, S. K. (2012). Schierwater, Bernd (ed.). "Identification and Re-Evaluation of Freshwater Catfishes through DNA Barcoding". PLOS ONE. 7 (11): e49950. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...749950B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049950. PMC 3499493. PMID 23166801.