''Silurichthys'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
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 are ...
.
Some ''Silurichthys'' species are economically important as
aquarium fishes, and many are useful biological indicators of the health of
freshwater or
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...
swamp forests.
In ''Silurichthys'' species, the
eyes are small and under the
skin
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
.
It is likely
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...
is present in all species, based on species where there enough specimens available. Mature males of all species have a broad and somewhat flattened
pectoral fin spine with "serrae" (saw-like teeth); in females and juveniles, the spine is slender and has no spines.
Species
There are currently nine recognized species in this genus:
*''
Silurichthys citatus''
Ng & Kottelat, 1997
*''
Silurichthys gibbiceps''
Ng & Ng, 1998
*''
Silurichthys hasseltii''
Bleeker, 1858
*''
Silurichthys indragiriensis''
Volz, 1904
*''
Silurichthys ligneolus''
Ng & Tan
Tan or TAN may refer to:
Businesses and organisations
* Black and Tans, a nickname for British special constables during the Irish War of Independence. By extension "Tans" can now also colloquially refer to English or British people in general, es ...
, 2011 (Brown leaf catfish)
*''
Silurichthys marmoratus''
Ng & Ng, 1998
*''
Silurichthys phaiosoma''
( Bleeker, 1851)
*''
Silurichthys sanguineus''
Roberts, 1989
*''
Silurichthys schneideri''
Volz, 1904
References
Siluridae
Freshwater fish genera
Catfish genera
Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker
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