Giant bagrid ID

[CC N]

These are the largest Bagrid catfish that i've ever encounter. The bigger one are 192kg weight and the smaller are 105kg. They did not moention the length but the smallest in all of the reports(83kg) measures at 2m13cm.

 

[MultipleTankSyndrome]

My guess is that this is an Indian shovelnose or Burmese shovelnose or at least something similar. That's going off the gray color and shovel mouth.

 

[CC N]

No burmese though not because the size but the lack of the black spot in the adipose fin. Adult Indian do fade it through their life but 192 is enormous. I'm leaning to sperata seenghala or Aor. Lets see whats other people says

this is what i find tho

 

[kno4te]

thebiggerthebetter Fishman Dave

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

To me these look like Hemibagrus, likely the largest-growing in the genus maydeli, both about 5 feet = 150 cm, cannot be over 50 kg.

 

[1 2many]

These are the largest Bagrid catfish that i've ever encounter. The bigger one are 192kg weight and the smaller are 105kg. They did not moention the length but the smallest in all of the reports(83kg) measures at 2m13cm. View attachment 1484732

Anyway to find out the location where they were caught?

 

[CC N]

yes. cambodia.

To me these look like Hemibagrus, likely the largest-growing in the genus maydeli, both about 5 feet = 150 cm, cannot be over 50 kg.

I'm leaning in to sperata. i've read several pages and some suggest these can grows over 2 meters. The fish above, maybe they just oversized it

They maybe H.microphthalmus because of the dorsal fin structure, the color and head shape. Not Maydelli, there's no red

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I take maydelli back. Keep forgetting maydelli is an Indian fish and the folks holding the fish are not Indian. So microphthalmus remains possible as it also occurs in the Mekong.

These are not Sperata of any species. The head and snout are way too wide, the eyes too small, the adipose is too small, the dorsal is too short (though collapsed in the pics), etc. The head alone as well as the body and fin proportions are pretty specific to Hemibagrus.

Hemibagrus from our database:

ARTC	Hemibagrus wyckioides.Greek,hemi=the_half+Mozarabic,bagre,Greek,pagros=a_fish,Dentex_sp.	Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Siluriformes (Catfish) > Bagridae (Bagrid catfishes)	Max 130 cm TL; common 50 cm SL; max 86 kg. FWR 120-185 cm; 32-100 kg; 16+ years.	Freshwat.; demersal; potamodromous	Subtropical	Asia: Mekong basin. Reported from Chao Phraya, Maeklong & Peninsular Thailand river systems.	Occurs in large upland rivers. Common in areas with rocky bottoms & irregular depths. Apparently does not migrate but reproduces locally & enters the flooded forest during high water in Jul-Oct. Feeds on insects, prawns, fish & crabs. Marketed fresh. Max 86 kg reported for a fish caught in Mae Klong River, Thailand (J-F. Helias, pers.comm., 07/2002).
Krishna Mystus	Hemibagrus maydelli	Actinopterygii>Siluriformes > Bagridae	165 cm TL; 59 kg. FWR 100-165 cm; 19-59 kg.	Freshwat.; demersal	Tropical	Asia: middle reaches of the Krishna river drainage in southern India.	Inhabits rivers. In Nagarjunasagar reservoir, this species contributed to the commercial fishery to the extent of 1 to 3 t per annum during 1976-80.
Irrawaddy Mystus	Hemibagrus microphthalmus	Actinopterygii>Siluriformes > Bagridae (Bagrid catfishes)	Max 133 cm TL m./u.; max 80 kg. FWR 50-180 cm; 2-80 kg.	Freshwat.; brackish; demersal; potamodromous	Tropical	Asia: Manipur drainage in India, Irrawaddy & Sittang drainages in Myanmar and, Salween River of Thailand. Recorded from Mekong River system in southern Laos.	Occurs in deeper rocky areas & tree roots. Caught t/o the year. Enters flooded forest during the months of high water (Jul-Oct). Feeds on fish, shrimps & crabs. Fisheries: minor com.
Yellow catfish	Hemibagrus nemurus	Actinopterygii>Siluriformes > Bagridae (Bagrid catfishes)	Max 65 cm SL male/unsexed. FWR 64-80 cm; 3-7 kg.	Freshwat.; brackish; benthopel.; pH 7.0-8.2; dH 10-25; potamodromous	Tropical 22 - 25°C; 19°N-6°S	Asia: Mekong, Chao Phraya & Xe Bangfai basins; also from the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo.	Occurs in most habitat types, but most frequent in large muddy rivers, with slow current & soft bottom. Enters flooded forest. Feeds on exogenous insects, aquatic insect larvae, shrimps, other crustaceans & fishes. Moves into flooded forests to spawn & the young are usually first seen in Aug. Returns to rivers in Nov-Dec. A highly priced aquar. fish. Food fish high in nutritive values esp. omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA). Fisheries: com.; a/c: com.; aquar.: com.
Crystal-eyed or forktail catfish	Hemibagrus wyckii	Actinopterygii>Siluriformes > Bagridae	Max 71 cm SL m./u. FWR 65-80+ cm; 3.5-6 kg.	Freshwat.; demersal; potamodromous	Tropical 22 - 25°C	Asia: Thailand to Indonesia	Lives in large rivers with fast flowing water over muddy substrate. Appears to be restricted in the middle reaches of rivers. Feeds on insects, prawns & fishes. Food fish. Fisheries: com.

 

[CC N]

yep its 80% microphthalmus or some endemic species from cambodia

no Sperata thou

 

[CC N]

new info : they were caught in Tonlé Sap, a seasoned lake connects to the Mekong river. Located in Cambodia.