Hairtail catfish

Hairtail catfish

　　Also known as white beard catfish, called Baung in Malaysia.

　　Biological characteristics

　　　　１． External morphology: The head is flat and conical, the body is cylindrical with a relatively high back. The posterior edge of the dorsal fin spines has barbs, the anterior edge of the pectoral fin spines has serrations, and the posterior edge has coarse serrations. It has a fat fin, with a base comparable to that of the anal fin. The caudal fin is forked, with the upper lobe elongated into a thread-like shape. It has four pairs of barbels, including one pair of nasal barbels, one pair of maxillary barbels, and two pairs of mandibular barbels, among which the maxillary barbels are very long, extending beyond the pelvic fins to near the anal fin. The body is scaleless and naked, with a complete lateral line. The body color is grayish, the belly is silvery white, and there are no black spots on the body surface or fins.

　　２． Living habits: The hairtail catfish is a warm-water fish, living in temperatures from 15°C to 37°C, with an optimal range of 26°C to 32°C. It shows obvious discomfort below 15°C, and loses balance at 14°C. It thrives in pH levels of 6.5 to 8.5 and does not have high requirements for dissolved oxygen in water. It is a bottom-dwelling fish, exhibits strong schooling behavior, and is relatively easy to catch. In Malaysia, the hairtail catfish is usually found in tidal river sections from estuaries up to slow-flowing upper reaches, and also inhabits channels near rice fields. It prefers waters that are not very clear, with depths of 2 to 4 meters. Shoreline areas of lakes or dams without muddy sediment are its preferred habitats.

　　This fish is omnivorous, with animal matter as the main component. In natural conditions, juveniles feed on plankton, while adults consume larvae, small fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects, aquatic earthworms, and organic debris. Under artificial conditions, it can eat various commercial feeds and formulated feeds.

　　３． Growth and reproduction: It grows relatively fast and can reach a large size; juvenile fish can grow over 150g within the same year, and individuals commonly found in natural waters weigh between 0.4 to 2.5 kg. Females reach sexual maturity at 32.5–35.5 cm, males at 35.5–38.5 cm. In Malaysia, the hairtail catfish has two main breeding seasons: the first from February to April, and the second from August to November.