''Pangasius'' 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 medium-large to very large

shark catfish The shark catfishes form the family Pangasiidae. They are found in fresh and brackish waters across southern Asia, from Pakistan to Borneo. Among the 30-odd members of this family is the plant-eating, endangered Mekong giant catfish ''Pangasian ...

es native to fresh water in South and

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-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important

basa fish Basa (''Pangasius bocourti'') is a species of catfish in the family Pangasiidae. Basa are native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins in Mainland Southeast Asia. These fish are important food fish with an international market. They are often l ...

, ''P. bocourti''.

Taxonomy

In 1993, ''Pangasius'' was one of two extant genera (along with ''

Helicophagus ''Helicophagus'' is a genus of shark catfishes native to Southeast Asia. Species There are currently three recognized species in this genus: * '' Helicophagus leptorhynchus'' Ng & Kottelat, 2000 * '' Helicophagus typus'' Bleeker, 1857 * '' H ...

'') in the family Pangasiidae. At this point, it was split into four subgenera. ''Pangasius'' (''Pangasianodon'') included '' P. gigas'' and '' P. hypophthalmus'' and was diagnosed by the absence of mandibular barbels, the absence of teeth in adults and the presence of a single-lobed

swimbladder The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw, or air bladder is an internal gas-filled organ that contributes to the ability of many bony fish (but not cartilaginous fish) to control their buoyancy, and thus to stay at their current water depth wit ...

. ''Pangasius'' (''Pteropangasius'') included ''P. micronema'' and ''P. pleurotaenia'' and was diagnosed by four lobes in the swimbladder and with multiple segments in the last lobe. ''Pangasius'' (''Neopangasius'') included ''P. nieuwenhuisii'', ''P. humeralis'', ''P. lithostoma'', ''P. kinabatanganensis'', diagnosed by

palatal The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity. A similar structure is found in crocodilians, but in most other tetrapods, the oral and nasal cavities are not truly separ ...

teeth arranged in a single large patch and high

vertebra The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristi ...

l counts. ''Pangasius'' (''Pangasius'') was the final subgenus and had no diagnostic features, containing the remaining species. These subgeneric classifications were confirmed in 2000 except for ''Neopangasius'', found to be

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...

and to be part of ''Pangasius'' (''Pangasius''), thus leaving three subgenera. Since then, the subgenera have been variably recognized as separate. ''P. gigas'' and ''P. hypophthalmus'' have been classified in the genus ''

Pangasianodon ''Pangasianodon'' is a genus of large to very large shark catfishes native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya Rivers in Southeast Asia and adjacent China. Species Two species in this genus are recognized: * ''Pangasianodon gigas'' Chevey, 1931 (Meko ...

'', and ''P. micronemus'' and ''P. pleurotaenia'' in the genus ''

Pseudolais ''Pseudolais'' is a genus of shark catfishes native to 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-eastern regi ...

'' (with ''Pteropangasius'' as a junior synonym). In 2011, ''Pangasius'' was sixth in the National Fisheries Institute’s "Top 10" list of the most consumed seafood in the United States. The Top 10 is based on tonnage of fish sold. According to the NFI, this mild-flavored white-fleshed fish is farmed in Asia, and is being used increasingly in food service. It is finding its way onto restaurant menus and into stores, as well, where one may see it called basa, tra, or swai. They are either called Panga, Pangas or Pangasius, In

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, Pangasius are called Ikan Patin , while Malaysian Chinese call Pangasius 巴丁鱼. Some species like Pangasius Nasutus , Pangasius Djambal and Pangasius Sanitwongsei are expensive food fish in

, Pangasius Sanitwongsei was also a common fish in aquarium trade and

sport fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit (economics), profit; or subsistence fishing ...

Species

Currently, 22 recognized species are in this genus: * ''

Pangasius bocourti Basa (''Pangasius bocourti'') is a species of catfish in the family Pangasiidae. Basa are native to the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins in Mainland Southeast Asia. These fish are important food fish with an international market. They are often l ...

'' Sauvage, 1880 (basa fish) * '' Pangasius conchophilus'' Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 (snail eating pangasius) * '' Pangasius djambal'' Bleeker, 1846 * '' Pangasius elongatus'' Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002 (elongated pangasius) * '' Pangasius humeralis'' Roberts, 1989 * ''

Pangasius kinabatanganensis ''Pangasius kinabatanganensis'' is a species of shark catfish.Roberts, Tyson R., and Chavalit Vidthayanon. "Systematic revision of the Asian catfish family Pangasiidae, with biological observations and descriptions of three new species." Proceedi ...

'' Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 (kinabatang pangasius) * '' Pangasius krempfi'' Fang & Chaux, 1949 * ''

Pangasius kunyit ''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''. Tax ...

'' Pouyaud, Teugels & Legendre, 1999 * ''

Pangasius larnaudii ''Pangasius larnaudii'', the black ear catfish is a species of freshwater shark catfish endemic to Mekong The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth longest river an ...

'' Bocourt, 1866 (spot pangasius) * '' Pangasius lithostoma'' Roberts, 1989 * '' Pangasius macronema'' Bleeker, 1851 * '' Pangasius mahakamensis'' Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002 * '' Pangasius mekongensis'' Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003 (mekong pangasius) * ''

Pangasius myanmar ''Pangasius myanmar'' is a species of shark catfish.Roberts, Tyson R., and Chavalit Vidthayanon. "Systematic revision of the Asian catfish family Pangasiidae, with biological observations and descriptions of three new species." Proceedings of the ...

'' Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 (myanmar pangasius) * '' Pangasius nasutus'' ( Bleeker, 1863) (long nosed pangasius) * ''

Pangasius nieuwenhuisii ''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''. T ...

'' ( Popta, 1904) * ''

Pangasius pangasius ''Pangasius pangasius'', the Pangas catfish, is a species of shark catfish native to fresh and brackish waters of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan. It has also been introduced to Cambodia and Vietnam. This species grows to a standard lengt ...

'' (

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, 1822) (yellowtail catfish) * '' Pangasius polyuranodon'' Bleeker, 1852 * '' Pangasius rheophilus'' Pouyaud & Teugels, 2000 * '' Pangasius sabahensis'' Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003 * ''

Pangasius sanitwongsei The giant pangasius, paroon shark, pangasid-catfish or Chao Phraya giant catfish (''Pangasius sanitwongsei'') is a species of freshwater fish in the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae) of order Siluriformes, found in the Chao Phraya and Mekong b ...

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

, 1931 (giant pangasius) * ''

Pangasius silasi ''Pangasius'' is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to fresh water in South and Southeast Asia. The term "pangasius" is sometimes used to specifically refer to the commercially important basa fish, ''P. bocourti''. T ...

'' Dwivedi et al., 2017

Fossil record

The single known fossil species of this genus, '' P. indicus'', is reported from the Paleogene period of Sipang, Sumatra, either from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

or the Oligocene.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q312329 Pangasiidae Paleogene genus first appearances Catfish genera Taxa named by Achille Valenciennes Freshwater fish genera Extant Paleogene first appearances