Hemibagrus wyckii
Encyclopedia
Hemibagrus wyckii is a species
of catfish
(order
Siluriformes) of the family Bagridae
. It is occasionally called the crystal eyed catfish.
from Thailand
to Indonesia
. It is known from the Mekong and Chao Phraya
drainages in central Indochina
. It is also known from the Batang Hari and Musi River drainages in Sumatra
, the Pahang River
drainage in Peninsular Malaysia
, the Citarum
drainage in Java
, and the Baram
, Rejang, Kapuas
, and Barito River
drainages in Borneo
.
s, and the eyes are sky blue. They reach about 71 centimetres (28 in) SL
. The head is extremely depressed and broad. The caudal fin is dark grey. The dorsal fin spine has 10–12 serrations on the posterior edge.
H. wyckii bears a resemblance to H. wyckioides
, however H. wyckioides lacks serrations on the dorsal fin spine, has a shorter dorsal fin base, and shorter maxillary barbels
.
s, prawn
s and fish
es. These fish are aggressive and can attack animals of their own size; they have been claimed to be the "only freshwater fish unafraid of man".
. Hemibagrus are aquaculture
d in Asian countries.
H. wyckii and Hemibagrus wyckioides
are the two members of this genus imported as aquarium
fish. These fish will bite and can damage objects in the aquarium. Due to both its aggressive and its predatory nature, this species should be kept alone.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of catfish
Catfish
Catfishes 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 heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
(order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Siluriformes) of the family Bagridae
Bagridae
Bagridae are a family of catfish that originate from Africa and Asia from Japan to Borneo. These fish are commonly known as naked catfishes or bagrid catfishes.Large Bagrids are important as food fish. Some species are kept as aquarium fishes....
. It is occasionally called the crystal eyed catfish.
Distribution
This species originates in AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is known from the Mekong and Chao Phraya
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...
drainages in central Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
. It is also known from the Batang Hari and Musi River drainages in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, the Pahang River
Pahang River
Pahang River or is a river in the state of Pahang, Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. With 459 km in length, it is the longest river on the Malay Peninsula...
drainage in Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
, the Citarum
Citarum River
Citarum is a river in West Java, Indonesia. It has an important role in the life of the people of West Java, as it is used to support agriculture, water supply, fishery, industry, sewerage, electricity etc. There are three Hydroelectric powerplant dams installed along this river; Saguling, Cirata,...
drainage in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, and the Baram
Baram River
The Baram river is a river in Sarawak, East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. The river originates in the central Iran Mountains and flows westwards through tropical rainforest to the South China Sea....
, Rejang, Kapuas
Kapuas River
The Kapuas River is a river in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, at the geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia. At in length, it is the longest river of Indonesia and one of the world's longest island rivers...
, and Barito River
Barito River
Barito is a 890 km long river, located in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. It originates in the Muller Mountain Range from where it flows southward into the Java Sea...
drainages in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.
Appearance and anatomy
H. wyckii are black with a few white markings on the caudal and dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
s, and the eyes are sky blue. They reach about 71 centimetres (28 in) SL
Fish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
. The head is extremely depressed and broad. The caudal fin is dark grey. The dorsal fin spine has 10–12 serrations on the posterior edge.
H. wyckii bears a resemblance to H. wyckioides
Hemibagrus wyckioides
Hemibagrus wyckioides is a species of catfish of the family Bagridae. It is occasionally called the Asian redtail catfish.-Distribution:...
, however H. wyckioides lacks serrations on the dorsal fin spine, has a shorter dorsal fin base, and shorter maxillary barbels
Barbel (anatomy)
A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...
.
Ecology
H. wyckii appears to be restricted in the middle reaches of the large rivers it inhabits. This species feeds on insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, prawn
Prawn
Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...
s and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
es. These fish are aggressive and can attack animals of their own size; they have been claimed to be the "only freshwater fish unafraid of man".
Relationship to humans
This fish is marketed fresh as a food fishSeafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
. Hemibagrus are aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
d in Asian countries.
H. wyckii and Hemibagrus wyckioides
Hemibagrus wyckioides
Hemibagrus wyckioides is a species of catfish of the family Bagridae. It is occasionally called the Asian redtail catfish.-Distribution:...
are the two members of this genus imported as aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish. These fish will bite and can damage objects in the aquarium. Due to both its aggressive and its predatory nature, this species should be kept alone.