Helicophagus

Taxobox
name = "Helicophagus"


image_width = 250 px
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Siluriformes
familia = Pangasiidae
genus = "Helicophagus"
genus_authority = Bleeker, 1858
type_species = "Helicophagus typus"
type_species_authority = Bleeker, 1858
subdivision_ranks = Binomial name
subdivision =
"Helicophagus leptorhynchus"
Ng & Kottelat, 2000"Helicophagus typus"
Bleeker, 1858"Helicophagus waandersii"
Bleeker, 1858

"Helicophagus" is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the family Pangasiidae. It includes three species, "H. leptorhynchus", "H. typus", and "H. waandersii".cite journal|url=http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/library/biblios/2007_Ferraris_Catfish_Checklist.pdf|title=Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types|first=Carl J., Jr.|last=Ferraris|journal=Zootaxa|volume=1418|pages=1–628|year=2007|format=PDF]

"H. leptorhynchus" is known from the Chao Phraya and Mekong River drainages in Indochina.cite journal|url=http://rmbr.nus.edu.sg/rbz/biblio/48/48rbz055-058.pdf|title="Helicophagus leptorhynchus", a New Species of Molluscivorous Catfish from Indochina (Teleostei: Pangasiidae)|last=Ng|first=Heok Hee|coauthors=Kottelat, Maurice|journal=The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology|year=2000|volume=48|issue=1|pages=55–58|format=PDF] "H. typus" inhabits rivers of Sumatra and southeast Borneo.FishBase species|genus=Helicphagus|species=typus|year=2007|month=July] "H. waandersii" is known from medium- to large-sized rivers of Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia.

"H. leptorhynchus" grows to about 47.2 centimetres (18.6 in) SL.FishBase species|genus=Helicophagus|species=leptorhynchus|year=2007|month=July] "H. typus" reaches a length of about 37.7 cm (14.8 in) TL. "H. waandersii" has a maximum recorded length of about 70.0 cm (27.6 in) TL.FishBase species|genus=Helicophagus|species=waandersii|year=2007|month=July]

The stomachs of the specimens of "H. waandersii" are more or less filled with mollusks, usually bivalves. "H. waandersii" enters flooded forests. "H. waandersii" migrates upstream when water levels begin to rise at the beginning of the flood season and moves downstream as water clears at the end of the flood season.

Unlike "H. waandersii", "H. leptorhynchus" stays in permanent river channels and does not move into flooded forests. However, it also migrates upstream and downstream with changes in the water level. "H. leptorhynchus" feeds primarily on bivalves.

References