Pangasius

Pangasius Temporal range: Tertiary - Recent
Pangasius hypophthalmus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Pangasiidae
Genus:	Pangasius Valenciennes, 1840
Type species
Pangasius buchanani Valenciennes, 1840
Species
See text.
Synonyms
Pseudopangasius Bleeker, 1862 Pseudolais Vaillant, 1902 Neopangasius Popta, 1904 Pteropangasius Fowler, 1937 Sinopangasius Chang & Wu, 1965

Pangasius is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae).

Taxonomy

In 1993, Pangasius was one of two extant genera (along with Helicophagus) in the family Pangasiidae. At this point, it was separated 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. 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 teeth arranged in a single large patch and high vertebral counts. Pangasius (Pangasius) was the final subgenus and had no diagnostic features, containing the remaining species.^[1] These subgeneric classifications were confirmed in 2000 except for Neopangasius, found to be polyphyletic and to be part of Pangasius (Pangasius), thus leaving three subgenera.^[1]

Since then, the subgenera have been variably recognized as separate. P. gigas and P. hypophthalmus have been classified in the genus Pangasianodon, and P. micronemus and P. pleurotaenia in the genus Pseudolais (with Pteropangasius as a junior synonym).^[2]

In 2009, Pangasius made it onto the National Fisheries Institute’s “Top Ten” list of the most consumed seafood in America. The Top 10 is based on tonnage of fish sold. According to the NFI, this mild-flavored white-flesh 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.

Species

Species list according to Ferraris, 2007, but listing genera as subgenera.^[2]

Subgenus Pangasianodon

• Mekong giant catfish, Pangasius gigas Chevey, 1931
• Iridescent shark, Pangasius hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878)

Subgenus Pangasius

• Basa fish, Pangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880
• Pangasius conchophilus Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991
• Pangasius djambal Bleeker, 1846
• Pangasius elongatus Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002
• Pangasius humeralis Roberts, 1989
• † Pangasius indicus (Marck, 1876)
• Pangasius kinabatanganensis Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991
• Pangasius krempfi Fang & Chaux, 1949
• Pangasius kunyit Pouyaud, Teugels & Legendre, 1999
• Spot pangasius, Pangasius larnaudii Bocourt, 1866
• Pangasius lithostoma Roberts, 1989
• Pangasius macronema Bleeker, 1851
• Pangasius mahakamensis Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002
• Pangasius mekongensis Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003
• Shortbarbel pangasius, Pangasius micronemus Bleeker, 1847
• Pangasius myanmar Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991
• Pangasius nasutus (Bleeker, 1863)
• Pangasius nieuwenhuisii (Popta, 1904)
• Yellowtail catfish, Pangasius pangasius (Hamilton, 1822)
• Pangasius polyuranodon Bleeker, 1852
• Pangasius rheophilus Pouyaud & Teugels, 2000
• Pangasius sabahensis Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003
• Giant pangasius, Pangasius sanitwongsei Smith, 1931

Subgenus Pteropangasius Fowler, 1937 (junior synonym of genus Pseudolais Vaillant, 1902 in Ferraris, 2007)

• Pangasius micronemus Bleeker, 1847
• Pangasius pleurotaenia Sauvage, 1878

Fossil record

The single fossil species of this genus, P. indicus, is reported from the Tertiary period, possibly the Eocene.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Gustiano, R.; Teugels, G. G.; Pouyaud, L. (2003). "Revision of the Pangasius kunyit catfish complex, with description of two new species from South-East Asia (Siluriformes; Pangasiidae)". Journal of Natural History 37 (3): 357–376. doi:10.1080/713834687. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Ferraris, Carl J., Jr. (2007). "Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types" (PDF). Zootaxa 1418: 1–628. http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/library/biblios/2007_Ferraris_Catfish_Checklist.pdf.