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Clarias

 
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Clarias
 
 
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Clarias is a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of catfish
Catfish

Catfish are a very diverse group of Actinopterygii fish. Named for their prominent barbel s, which resemble a cat's whiskers , catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest, the Pangasius gigas from Southeast Asia and the longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores , and even to a tiny parasite species commonly called the ca...
es (order
Order (biology)

In Biological classification used in biology, the order is a taxonomic rank between class and family . The superorder is a rank between class and order....
 Siluriformes) of the family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 chlaros, which means lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water.

larias has been found to be paraphyletic
Paraphyly

In phylogenetics, a group of organisms is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its most recent common ancestor Common descent but does not contain all the descendants of that ancestor....
. It has been found that a species of Heterobranchus
Heterobranchus

Heterobranchus is a genus of catfishes of the family Clariidae.H. longifilis may also be known as vundu.H. bidorsalis originates from the Nile River, Niger River, Upper Volta River, Guinea and Senegal Rivers, and the Chad basin....
 (H. longifilis) clusters deeply inside the Clarias group.

are found in inland waters throughout much of the Old World
Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans in the 15th century....
, and is one of the most widespread catfish genera in the world.






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Clarias is a genus
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 of catfish
Catfish

Catfish are a very diverse group of Actinopterygii fish. Named for their prominent barbel s, which resemble a cat's whiskers , catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest, the Pangasius gigas from Southeast Asia and the longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores , and even to a tiny parasite species commonly called the ca...
es (order
Order (biology)

In Biological classification used in biology, the order is a taxonomic rank between class and family . The superorder is a rank between class and order....
 Siluriformes) of the family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 chlaros, which means lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water.

Taxonomy

Clarias has been found to be paraphyletic
Paraphyly

In phylogenetics, a group of organisms is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its most recent common ancestor Common descent but does not contain all the descendants of that ancestor....
. It has been found that a species of Heterobranchus
Heterobranchus

Heterobranchus is a genus of catfishes of the family Clariidae.H. longifilis may also be known as vundu.H. bidorsalis originates from the Nile River, Niger River, Upper Volta River, Guinea and Senegal Rivers, and the Chad basin....
 (H. longifilis) clusters deeply inside the Clarias group.

Distribution

They are found in inland waters throughout much of the Old World
Old World

The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans in the 15th century....
, and is one of the most widespread catfish genera in the world. The genus is found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia....
 and East Asia
East Asia

East Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either Geography or cultural terms. Geography and geopolitically, it covers about 12,000,000 km?, or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as Central Asia....
 westwards through India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
 and the Asia Minor to Africa
Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km? including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area....
. The diversity of these catfishes is highest in Africa. Some (notably the Walking catfish
Walking catfish

The walking catfish, Clarias batrachus, is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish found primarily in Southeast Asia, so named for its ability to "walk" across dry land, to find food or suitable environments....
) have become pest species where they have been accidentally introduced.

Description

Clarias species are recognized by their long-based dorsal
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
 and anal fins, which give them a rather eel
Eel

True eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 19 Family s, 110 genera and approximately 600 species. Most eels are predators....
-like appearance. These fish have slender bodies, a flat bony head, and a broad, terminal mouth with four pairs of barbels
Barbel (anatomy)

A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, and some species of shark....
. They also have a large, accessory breathing organ composed of modified gill arches. Also, only the pectoral fins have spines.

Relationship to humans

Many of the species are of great economic importance in both fisheries
Fishery

Generally, a fishery is a unit, engaged in raising and/or harvesting fish, which is determined by an authority or other entity to be a fishery....
 and fish culture
Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Unlike fishing, aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, implies the cultivation of aquatic populations under controlled conditions....
.

Species

Species according to Ferraris, 2007.

  • Clarias agboyiensis
  • Clarias albopunctatus
  • Clarias alluaudi Alluaud's catfish
    Alluaud's catfish

    Allauad's catfish is a species of fish in the Clariidae family. It is found in Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes....
  • Clarias anfractus
  • Clarias angolensis
  • Clarias anguillaris
    Clarias anguillaris

    Clarias anguillaris is a species of African catfish also known as the mudfish.External links...
     Mudfish
  • Clarias batrachus Walking catfish
    Walking catfish

    The walking catfish, Clarias batrachus, is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish found primarily in Southeast Asia, so named for its ability to "walk" across dry land, to find food or suitable environments....
  • Clarias batu
    Clarias batu

    'Clarias batu' is a species of Clariidae catfish. It is only known from Tioman Island off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The eel-like catfish found on this island were originally identified as the widespread species Clarias nieuhofii but comparison of a large series of specimens from Tioman with a series of C....
  • Clarias brachysoma
  • Clarias buettikoferi
  • Clarias buthupogon
  • Clarias camerunensis
  • Clarias cataractus
  • Clarias cavernicola Cave catfish
    Cave catfish

    The cave catfish, Clarias cavernicola, is a critically endangered species of Airbreathing catfish. They are only known to live in the Aigumas Cave, Otjozondjupa, Namibia....
     
  • Clarias dayi
  • Clarias dhonti
  • Clarias dialonensis
  • Clarias dumerilii
  • Clarias dussumieri
  • Clarias ebriensis
  • Clarias engelseni
  • Clarias falconeri †
    Extinction

    In biology and ecology, extinction is the death of every member of a species or group of taxon. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of that species ....
  • Clarias fuscus
  • Clarias gabonensis
  • Clarias gariepinus
    Clarias gariepinus

    Clarias gariepinus or African catfish is a species of catfish of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes....
  • Clarias hilli
  • Clarias insolitus
  • Clarias intermedius
  • Clarias jaensis
  • Clarias kapuasensis
  • Clarias laeviceps
  • Clarias lamottei
  • Clarias leiacanthus
  • Clarias liocephalus Smoothhead catfish
  • Clarias longior
  • Clarias maclareni
    Clarias maclareni

    Clarias maclareni is a species of fish in the Clariidae family. It is Endemism to Cameroon. Category:Fauna of CameroonIt is known to grow to 36 cm....
  • Clarias macrocephalus Broadhead catfish
    Broadhead catfish

    The Broadhead Catfish or Clarias macrocephalus is an economically important air-breathing catfish that is a native of Southeast Asia. The fish is cultivated in fish ponds for use in human consumption in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines....
     
  • Clarias macromystax
  • Clarias meladerma Blackskin catfish
  • Clarias microstomus
  • Clarias ngamensis Blunt-toothed African catfish
  • Clarias nieuhofii
    Clarias nieuhofii

    Clarias nieuhofii is a species of Clariidae catfish. It has a wide distribution in Southeast Asia including peninsular Malaysia, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines....
  • Clarias nigricans
    Clarias nigricans

    Clarias nigricans is a species of Clariidae catfish. It is only known from the Mahakam River in eastern Borneo. The eel-like catfish of this region were long assumed to belong to the widespread species Clarias nieuhofii but examination of 6 specimens purchased from a fish market in Samarinda in 1999 and preserved specimens from the sa...
  • Clarias nigromarmoratus
  • Clarias olivaceus
  • Clarias pachynema
  • Clarias planiceps
  • Clarias platycephalus
  • Clarias pseudoleiacanthus
  • Clarias pseudonieuhofii
  • Clarias salae
  • Clarias stappersii Blotched catfish
  • Clarias submarginatus
  • Clarias sulcatus
  • Clarias teijsmanni
  • Clarias theodorae Snake catfish
  • Clarias werneri


    • Invasive species

    Clarias catfish and primarely Clarias batrachus (walking catfish) has been introduced to many different areas of the world where they are causing problems for the native wildlife. The effect of introduction of clarias catfish varies from area to area but as they are predatory fish they often impact the local wildlife by eating other fish
    Fish

    A fish is any marine biology vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scale , and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins....
    , birds and amphibians. In Florida the fish is causing problems by invading aquaculture
    Aquaculture

    Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and saltwater organisms including molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants. Unlike fishing, aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, implies the cultivation of aquatic populations under controlled conditions....
     farms and prey on the fish cultivated there. Countries where one or several Clarias species have been introduced includes Indonesia
    Indonesia

    The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
    , USA, Hong Kong
    Hong Kong

    Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
    , Taiwan
    Taiwan

    Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
    , China
    China

    China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
    , UK, Papua New Guinea
    Papua New Guinea

    Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
    , Guam
    Guam

    Guam , officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated insular area of the United States....
    , Taiwan
    Taiwan

    Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
    , Thailand
    Thailand

    The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar....
     and Cuba.