What kind of Clarias is this?

beng · Post by **beng** » 17 Aug 2005, 02:33

These are pics of a Clarias (~30cm TL) that an acquaintance caught in a shallow stream in Singapore, any idea what species?

The other fish in the top pic is of course a Channa striata.

possibly useful article:
A Comparative Study of Morphology Between F1 Hybrid Magur (Clarias batrachus x gariepinus) and their Parents
http://www.ansinet.org/fulltext/jbs/jbs210699-702.pdf

Post by **Silurus** » 17 Aug 2005, 02:44

beng · Post by **beng** » 17 Aug 2005, 02:57

Silurus wrote:
Clarias batrachus

Thanks for the ID! Its good to see they are still around in Singapore.

Post by **Silurus** » 17 Aug 2005, 03:02

It's not that rare over there. is considerably rarer in Singapore.

beng · Post by **beng** » 17 Aug 2005, 03:14

Silurus wrote:It's not that rare over there.

Clarias leiacanthus
is considerably rarer in Singapore.

batrachus used to be much more common than it is now. It was found even in small concrete drains in urban areas, like in drains along Bt Timah / Dunearn road, Stevens Road (and adjoining housing estates), Bishan (drain behind Faber Gardens condo back gate), Kallang canal start (and tributary streams from golf course), old NJC (before it was redeveloped into Nanyang Girls School), Newton Circus, Teacher's Estate, etc, but re-development by the PWD/Drainage Dept. of those old-style drains with slow, permenant water and holes in the sides to make them into modern fishless drains has killed it off, so it is now only found in a few remaining earth-banked streams in less urbanised areas.

I didn't know Clarias leiacanthus was in sg, only knew of C. batrachus and C. teijsmanni (mentioned in the S. H. Chuang book on natural history).

Now of course there's also gariepinus and possibly its aquaculture hybrids, as well as loads other exotics like various Plecos, Pangasius, etc.

Post by **Silurus** » 17 Aug 2005, 03:31

What used to be called C. teijsmanni is now C. leiacanthus.