Amur catfish

Amur catfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Siluridae
Genus: Silurus
Species: S. asotus
Binomial name
Silurus asotus
Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
  • Parasilurus asotus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Amur catfish, or Japanese common catfish, Silurus asotus,[1] is a species of catfish (sheatfish), family Siluridae. It is a large freshwater fish found in continental East Asia and in Japan. It prefers slow-flowing rivers, lakes, and irrigation canals. Its appearance is typical of a large silurid catfish. Larval S. asotus specimens have three pairs of barbels (one maxillary, two mandibular), while adult fish have only two pairs (one maxillary, one mandibular); second pair of mandibular barbels degenerates.[2] This species grows to 130 cm (51 in) in total length.

A picture of a fountain or sculpture of an Amur catfish, in Japan: The catfish is about 4 m long atop the fountain.
A fountain dedicated to the Amur catfish

References

  1. ITIS (gov)
  2. "Relationship between external and internal morphological changes and feeding habits in the fry state of Japanese Catfish Silurius Asotus", 1999, Osamu Yada and Atsushi Furukawa, UJNR Aquaculture 28th Panel Proceedings
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