BobVillanueva from Philippines asks: .... there was a bunch of "Mekong Giant catfish" that came in here. Its just so hard to tell whether they are the real deal because we dont know here for sure what they look like as juvies:/
Anyone knows how to ID "Mekong Giant catfish" juvi?
- Thread starter thebiggerthebetter
- Start date
http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=767 says: Identification: "The center of the eye above the horizontal line through the mouth angle in juveniles; eye totally below the level of mouth angle in subadults and adults. The maxillary and mandibular barbels well developed in juveniles, mandibular barbels becoming rudimentary in subadults and adults. Gigantic size; oral teeth and gill rakers present in small juveniles, absent at about 30-50 cm SL; dorsal, pelvic and pectoral fins without filamentous extensions."
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Pangasianodon-gigas.html says: "Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal soft rays: 35; Vertebrae: 48. Body without stripes; posterior nostril located near anterior nostril; 7 branched dorsal-fin rays; gill rakers rudimentary or absent; fins grey, never black (Ref. 12693). The center of the eye above the horizontal line through the mouth angle in juveniles; eye totally below the level of mouth angle in subadults and adults. The maxillary and mandibulary pairs of barbels well developed in juveniles; mandibulary barbels become rudimentary in subadults and adults (Ref. 9448). Gigantic size; oral teeth and gill rakers present in small juveniles, absent at about 30-50 cm SL; dorsal, pelvic and pectoral fins without filamentous extensions (Ref. 43281). Distinguished from other large catfish in the Mekong by its lack of teeth and the almost complete absence of barbels (Ref. 2686)"
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That's all I know atm. There is a lot written about them. Are you having problems telling them from paroon sharks? Fugupuff could teach us as he knows how to tell.
Also, the price would be enormously different, I'd imagine.
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For reference: paroon
PCF - http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=268 Shows a black dorsal fin extension from about the 40mm size onwards.
FishBase - http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Pangasius-sanitwongsei.html Fins are pigmented with dusky melanophores. First soft ray in dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins prolonged into a filament (Ref. 4792). 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 (Ref. 12693). Mouth wide, its width 5.5-5.9 times in SL (Ref. 43281).
http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Pangasianodon-gigas.html says: "Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal soft rays: 35; Vertebrae: 48. Body without stripes; posterior nostril located near anterior nostril; 7 branched dorsal-fin rays; gill rakers rudimentary or absent; fins grey, never black (Ref. 12693). The center of the eye above the horizontal line through the mouth angle in juveniles; eye totally below the level of mouth angle in subadults and adults. The maxillary and mandibulary pairs of barbels well developed in juveniles; mandibulary barbels become rudimentary in subadults and adults (Ref. 9448). Gigantic size; oral teeth and gill rakers present in small juveniles, absent at about 30-50 cm SL; dorsal, pelvic and pectoral fins without filamentous extensions (Ref. 43281). Distinguished from other large catfish in the Mekong by its lack of teeth and the almost complete absence of barbels (Ref. 2686)"
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That's all I know atm. There is a lot written about them. Are you having problems telling them from paroon sharks? Fugupuff could teach us as he knows how to tell.
Also, the price would be enormously different, I'd imagine.
#############################################################
For reference: paroon
PCF - http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=268 Shows a black dorsal fin extension from about the 40mm size onwards.
FishBase - http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Pangasius-sanitwongsei.html Fins are pigmented with dusky melanophores. First soft ray in dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins prolonged into a filament (Ref. 4792). 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 (Ref. 12693). Mouth wide, its width 5.5-5.9 times in SL (Ref. 43281).
Thanks for this
To me they don't resemble a Paroon Shark because the fishes that came in did not have that much of a prominent dorsal. Regarding the price, they went for roughly 20 USD. Paroons here usually go for around 5 USD.
In my view, they honestly look more of a ID shark but with something different.
I've only seen them from one supplier and one very reputable seller but im not sure if they came in together. However, the last time i checked, there was a few left at the warehouse.
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Good eye. MGC and IDS are from the same genus and may be the only two species in it. Well, IDS is so-o-o well known and common - http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=172. And this is what FishBase says about IDS: http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Pangasianodon-hypophthalmus.html "Fins dark grey or black; 6 branched dorsal-fin rays; gill rakers normally developed; young with a black stripe along lateral line and a second long black stripe below lateral line, large adults uniformly grey (Ref. 12693). Dark stripe on the middle of anal fin; dark stripe in each caudal lobe; small gill rakers regularly interspersed with larger ones (Ref. 43281)."
I think they are more easily confused when big, not when small because MGC have no stripes at all.
Re the stripe, that i would have to check its torture seeing what they could be and not being able to buy one) will def get back at you for that one
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its torture seeing what they could be and not being able to buy one) will def get back at you for that oneSent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
That paroon link with its photos has certainly put to rest any uncertainty as to whether a young fish is a paroon or an ID shark.It's been a while since I've had one so I wasn't sure but young paroons look nothing like young irredescent sharks...A few days ago a member thought he had some paroons for sale and then he wasn't so sure but if he looks at that link he will know that he has some other species.
I'm aware of that.I mentioned it because there was a recent thread in which there was some confusion over the identity of a seller's fish and how the above link helped clear that up.....as for the topic,are you considering getting some of those fish from Bob?
Sorry.
No, I am not. All I am doing is trying to possibly help Bob figure out what fish he has seen.
No, I am not. All I am doing is trying to possibly help Bob figure out what fish he has seen.