Giant Barb
Encyclopedia
The giant barb or Siamese giant carp, Catlocarpio siamensis (Thai: กระโห้ or กะมัน; ), is the largest species of carp
in the world. These migratory fish are found only in the Mae Klong
, Mekong
and Chao Phraya river basins. This fish is a desirable food fish, which may have caused a serious decline in its numbers.
s, floodplain
s and flooded forests. Young barbs are usually found in smaller tributaries and swamp
s, but can acclimatize to living in pond
s, canal
s and swamp
s. The fish generally live in pairs.
These are migratory fish, swimming to favorable areas for feeding and breeding in different parts of the year. These slow-moving fish subsist on algae
, phytoplankton
and fruit
s of inundated terrestrial
plant
s, rarely (if ever) feeding on active animal
s. In the lower Mekong
basin, young giant barbs have been reported as occurring primarily in October.
The head is rather large for the body. There are no barbel
s.
The giant barb ranks among the largest freshwater fish in the world and is probably the largest fish in the family Cyprinidae. Few individuals are under 1½ m (5 ft) and 45 kg (100 lb
). Large examples of this species can be 3 m (10 ft) and 300 kg (660 lb). Among the carp
s, only the Mahseer
reached comparable dimensions, but large mahseer
s have only been recorded in centuries past.
This fish is actually tetraploid, meaning that it has four of each chromosome (as opposed to diploid, the normal number in animals).
.. Only ten fish were caught in 2000, according to the Mekong River Commission
.
In a 2005 royal decree, the Kingdom of Cambodia designated this fauna as the national fish in order to bring conservation awareness to this species.
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
in the world. These migratory fish are found only in the Mae Klong
Mae Klong
The Mae Klong is a river in western Thailand. The river begins at the confluence of the Khwae Noi or Khwae Sai Yok and the Khwae Yai River or Khwae Si Sawat in Kanchanaburi, pass Ratchaburi Province and empties into the Gulf of Thailand in Samut Songkhram....
, Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
and Chao Phraya river basins. This fish is a desirable food fish, which may have caused a serious decline in its numbers.
Distribution and habitat
They are usually seen in the big pools along the edges of large rivers, but will seasonally enter smaller canalCanal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s, floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s and flooded forests. Young barbs are usually found in smaller tributaries and swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, but can acclimatize to living in pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s, canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s and swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s. The fish generally live in pairs.
These are migratory fish, swimming to favorable areas for feeding and breeding in different parts of the year. These slow-moving fish subsist on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
, phytoplankton
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
and fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s of inundated terrestrial
Terrestrial plant
A terrestrial plant is one that grows on land. Other types of plants are aquatic , epiphytic , lithophytes and aerial ....
plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s, rarely (if ever) feeding on active animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s. In the lower Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
basin, young giant barbs have been reported as occurring primarily in October.
Physical Characteristics
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, the zebrafish and some species of shark...
s.
The giant barb ranks among the largest freshwater fish in the world and is probably the largest fish in the family Cyprinidae. Few individuals are under 1½ m (5 ft) and 45 kg (100 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
). Large examples of this species can be 3 m (10 ft) and 300 kg (660 lb). Among the carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
s, only the Mahseer
Mahseer
Mahseer is the common name used for the genera Tor, Neolissochilus, and Naziritor in the family Cyprinidae . The name Mahseer is however more often restricted to members of the genus Tor...
reached comparable dimensions, but large mahseer
Mahseer
Mahseer is the common name used for the genera Tor, Neolissochilus, and Naziritor in the family Cyprinidae . The name Mahseer is however more often restricted to members of the genus Tor...
s have only been recorded in centuries past.
This fish is actually tetraploid, meaning that it has four of each chromosome (as opposed to diploid, the normal number in animals).
Conservation Status
These fish have been reported as heavily depleted, mainly because they are locally regarded as a delicacy. Few barbs, whether due to human predation or natural predation, live to maturity. However, they are not listed as in the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
.. Only ten fish were caught in 2000, according to the Mekong River Commission
Mekong River Commission
The Mekong River Commission is an intergovernment body charged “to promote and co-ordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries’ mutual benefit and the people’s well-being by implementing strategic programmes and activities and providing...
.
In a 2005 royal decree, the Kingdom of Cambodia designated this fauna as the national fish in order to bring conservation awareness to this species.