Clarias

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Genus of fishes

title: "Clarias" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["clarias", "fish-of-africa", "fish-of-asia", "freshwater-fish-genera", "catfish-genera", "taxa-named-by-giovanni-antonio-scopoli"] description: "Genus of fishes" topic_path: "general/clarias" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarias" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of fishes ::

| fossil_range = Lower Pliocene - recent | image = Clarias batrachus.jpg | image_upright = 1.1 | image_caption = Walking catfish, Clarias batrachus | taxon = Clarias | authority = Scopoli, 1777 | type_species = Silurus anguillaris | type_species_authority = Linnaeus, 1758 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = Many, see text. | synonyms =

  • Chlarias Scopoli, 1777
  • Macropteronotus La Cepède, 1803
  • Clarias Cuvier, 1816
  • Cossyphus M’Clelland, 1844
  • Phagorus M’Clelland, 1844
  • Dinotopteroides Fowler, 1930
  • Prophagorus Smith, 1939
  • Anguilloclarias Teugels, 1982
  • Brevicephaloides Teugels, 1982
  • Clarioides Teugels, 1982
  • Platycephaloides Teugels, 1982

Clarias is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek chlaros, which means lively, and is about the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water.

Taxonomy

Clarias is paraphyletic. A species of Heterobranchus (H. longifilis) clusters deeply inside the Clarias group.

Distribution

They are found in inland waters throughout much of the Old World and are one of the most widespread catfish genera in the world. The genus is found in Southeast Asia and East Asia westwards through India and Asia Minor and in Africa. The diversity of these catfishes is highest in Africa. Some (notably the walking catfish) have become pest species where they were accidentally introduced, particularly in Cuba, where their introduction was intentional.

Description

Clarias species are recognized by their long-based dorsal and anal fins, which give them a rather eel-like appearance. These fish have slender bodies, a flat, bony head, and a broad, terminal mouth with four pairs of barbels. Many species also have a large, accessory breathing organ composed of modified gill arches. Also, only the pectoral fins have spines.

Species

There are currently 62 species recognized in this genus:

African species

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Clarias_liocephalus.jpg" caption="''Clarias liocephalus''"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Clarias_stappersii_Boulenger,_1915_collected_in_Lavushi_Manda_National_Park,_Zambia_by_the_South_African_Institute_for_Aquatic_Biodiversity.jpg" caption="''Clarias stappersii'' collected in [[Lavushi Manda National Park]], [[Zambia]] by the [[South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity"] ::

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Asian species

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Clari_batra_110829-16971_jtg.JPG" caption="''Clarias batrachus'' from [[Lumajang Regency]], [[East Java]], [[Indonesia"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Clari_nieuh_090810-10611_klr.jpg" caption="East Kotawaringin]], [[Central Kalimantan]], Indonesia."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Pseudoleiacanthus.png" caption="''Clarias pseudoleiacanthus''"] ::

::data[format=table]

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Fossil species

Importance to economy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Yum_pladook_foo.jpg" caption="ยำปลาดุกฟู}}): shredded and deep fried ''Clarias'' (''pla duk'') catfish with salad"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Pecel_Lele_1.JPG" caption="''[[Pecel lele]]'', an Indonesian-style deep fried ''Clarias'' (''lele''); usually sold as street food"] ::

Many species are of great economic importance in fisheries and fish culture.

Invasive species

Clarias catfish and primarily Clarias batrachus (walking catfish) have been introduced to many different areas of the world, causing problems for native wildlife. The effect of the introduction of these fish varies from area to area, but as they are predatory, they often affect the local wildlife by eating other fish, birds, and amphibians. In Florida, the fish are causing problems by invading aquaculture farms and preying on the fish cultivated there. Countries where one or several Clarias species have been introduced include Indonesia, the United States, Hong Kong, China, the UK, Papua New Guinea, Guam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Cuba.

References

References

  1. {{FishBase genus. (2011)
  2. Mwita, CJ. (2008). "Molecular phylogeny of the clariid fishes of Lake Victoria, Tanzania, inferred from cytochrome b DNA sequences". Journal of Fish Biology.
  3. Ng, Heok Hee. (2003). "''Clarias insolitus'', a new species of clariid catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from southern Borneo". [[Zootaxa]].
  4. Ng, Heok Hee. (2001). "''Clarias microstomus'', a New Species of Clariid Catfish from Eastern Borneo (Teleostei: Siluriformes)". Zoological Studies.
  5. Lim, Kelvin K. P.. (1999). "''Clarias batu'', a New Species of Catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Pulau Tioman, Peninsular Malaysia". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.
  6. Teugels, Guy G.. (2001). "Description of a New ''Clarias'' Species from Southeast Asia Based on Morphological and Genetical Evidence (Siluriformes, Clariidae)". Cybium.
  7. Sudarto. (2004). "Description of a New Clariid Catfish, ''Clarias pseudonieuhofii'' from West Borneo (Siluriformes: Clariidae)". Zoological Studies.
  8. Ng, H. H.. (2011). "''Clarias gracilentus'', a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Vietnam and Cambodia". Zootaxa.
  9. H. H. Ng. (2011). "''Clarias microspilus'', a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from northern Sumatra, Indonesia". Journal of Threatened Taxa.
  10. Ng, Heok Hee. (2003). "''Clarias nigricans'', a New Species of Clariid Catfish (Teleostei: Siluriformes) from Eastern Borneo". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.
  11. Ng, H.H.. (2014). "''Clarias serniosus'', a new walking catfish (Teleostei: Clariidae) from Laos". Zootaxa.
  12. "Ecology of ''Clarias batrachus''".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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