Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Siluriformes (Catfishes) > Pangasiidae (Shark catfishes)
Etymology: Helicophagus: Greek, helike = spiral + Greek, phagein = to eat (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Ng & Kottelat.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal. Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Asia: Chao Phraya and Mekong River drainages in Indochina.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 47.2 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 43281)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 7; Anal soft rays: 35 - 42; Vertebrae: 46 - 48. Can be differentiated from all its congeners by the following combination of characters: length of anal-fin base 34.5-38.2% SL, length of caudal peduncle 12.9-15.3% SL, head length 20.8-22.8% SL, eye diameter 16.1-21.2% HL, 9-12 gill rakers on the first branchial arch (Ref. 39387). Snout relatively elongate, conical in dorsal view; mouth narrow, with 20-25 times in SL; posterior nostril midway between anterior nostril and eye (Ref. 43281).

Occurs in permanent river channels and does not move into flooded areas. Migrates upstream when water levels begin to rise at the beginning of the flood season and moves downstream as the water clears at the end of the flood season. Feeds predominantly on bivalves.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Ng, H.H. and M. Kottelat, 2000. Helicophagus leptorhynchus, a new species of molluscivorous catfish from Indochina (Teleostei: Pangasiidae). Raffles Bull. Zoll. 48(1):55-58. (Ref. 39387)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Data deficient (DD) ; Date assessed: 20 October 2011

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology

Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance

Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
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Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
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Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith

Physiology
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Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)

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Genetics
Heterozygosity
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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00457 (0.00216 - 0.00967), b=3.09 (2.91 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 2.8 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100).

Helicophagus leptorhynchus Ng & Kottelat, 2000