''Belodontichthys'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of sheatfishes native to

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

Species

There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * '' Belodontichthys dinema'' (

Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Belodontichthys truncatus ''Belodontichthys'' is a genus of sheatfishes native to Asia. Species There are currently two recognized species in this genus: * '' Belodontichthys dinema'' ( Bleeker, 1851) * '' Belodontichthys truncatus'' Kottelat & Ng, 1999 ''B. dinema'' ...

Kottelat Maurice Kottelat (born 16 July 1957 in Delémont, SwitzerlandC ...

& Ng, 1999 ''B. dinema'' originates from

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

, and

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and eas ...

. This species grows up to about 100.0 centimetres (39.4 in) TL. ''M. dinema'' occurs in medium to large-sized rivers and is found from middle depths to the surface in deeper parts of large rivers. This species feeds on smaller fish near the water surface. It is an excellent

game fish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commerciall ...

which can be caught using hook and line. Presently, large numbers are being taken near

Stung Treng Stung Treng City ( km, ទីក្រុងស្ទឹងត្រែង) ( lo, ຊຽງແຕງ ) is the capital of Stung Treng Province, Cambodia. It is the major city (and capital) of both the district and province. Geography Stung Tren ...

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

explosive An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

s. It is marketed fresh or dried and salted. ''B. truncatus'' is known from the

Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , ...

and

Chao Phraya River The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Et ...

basins. This species grows up to 60.0 cm (23.6 in) SL. ''B. truncatus'' migrates upstream through the

Khone Falls The Khone Falls and Pha Pheng Falls ( lo, ນ້ຳຕົກຕາດຄອນພະເພັງ; km, ល្បាក់ខោន, ''Lbak Khaon'') together form a waterfall located in Champasak Province on the Mekong River in southern Laos, nea ...

in June to July with other silurids and enters the flooded forest in July to October, where it feeds heavily on

cyprinids Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest vert ...

of the genus ''

Henicorhynchus ''Henicorhynchus'' is a genus of cyprinid fish that occurs in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-easter ...

''.

References

External links

Mekong Fisheries of Thailand
Siluridae Fish of Asia Fish of the Mekong Basin Fish of Cambodia Fish of Indonesia Fish of Laos Fish of Malaysia Fish of Thailand Fish of Vietnam Freshwater fish genera Catfish genera Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker {{catfish-stub