Home / Fishes / Catfish / Iridescent shark
No federal permit to keepIridescent shark
Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Fishes › Catfish (Siluriformes) › Pangasiidae (Pangasius shark catfish)
The iridescent shark or iridescent shark catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) is a species of shark catfish (family Pangasiidae) native to the rivers of Southeast Asia.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: An adult reaches about 51.2 in (130 cm). That needs a pond or public-aquarium-scale system, far beyond a home aquarium.
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 72–79°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6.5–7.5.
- Hardness: 2–29 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Availability: Mostly kept by public aquariums; private keeping is uncommon.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 72–79 °F, pH 6.5–7.5.
- Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more.
- Difficulty: Difficult (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Strictly speaking, decor isn't necessary for a tank containing an adult, provided the lighting is fairly dim.”
- Diet: “It's omnivorous, although a juvenile will require a good amount of protein in the diet in order for it to develop and grow at the correct rate.”
- Tankmates: “Not an aggressive species, but much smaller tankmates will likely be consumed.”
- Breeding: “It's a migratory species, moving upstream to spawn during the late spring and summer months.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Catfishes
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rivers and streams. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Hiding places (caves, driftwood) and soft substrate for bottom-dwellers.
- Some species (redtail and shark catfish) grow huge and suit only public aquariums.
Diet
- Sinking pellets and wafers; vegetables for plecos; meaty foods for predators.
Health watch
- Bottom-dwellers suffer on dirty or sharp substrate.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
Despite its name, it is not a real shark. It is found in the Mekong basin as well as the Chao Phraya River, and is heavily cultivated for food.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Iridescent shark” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams, lakes, rice paddies. Uses both the bottom and open water. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 72–79 °F (22–26 °C), pH 6.5–7.5, hardness 2–29 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: open water/substratum egg scatterers. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–79 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 94°F (up to 98°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 67°F (down to 54°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 77–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 71–78% on average (driest month about 65%) |
| Rainfall | about 1512 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons |
Measured at 88 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The iridescent shark or iridescent shark catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) is a species of shark catfish (family Pangasiidae) native to the rivers of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is not a real shark. It is found in the Mekong basin as well as the Chao Phraya River, and is heavily cultivated for food. The meat is often marketed under the common name swai (from Thai สวาย). — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Assuming same reproductive mode as P. conchophilus. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Adults reach up to 130 cm in length and can weigh up to a maximum of 44 kg. They have a shiny, iridescent color that gives these fish their name. However, large adults are uniformly grey. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Facultative air-breathing; Adults inhabit large rivers. Recorded as having been or being farmed in rice fields. Omnivorous, feeding on fish and crustaceans as well as on vegetable debris. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Water hardness
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- A chromosome-level genome assembly of the striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) Gao Z et al., Genomics 2021
- Effects of Extract of Betel Leaf (Piperaceae) against Ectoparasite "Ich" on Pangasius Catfish Irnidayanti Y et al., Pakistan journal of biological sciences: PJBS 2021
- Acute toxicity of an organophosphate insecticide sumithion to striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus Islam SMM et al., Toxicology reports 2019
- Comparative genomics of Edwardsiellaictaluri revealed four distinct host-specific genotypes and thirteen potential vaccine candidates Machimbirike VI et al., Genomics 2021
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 98 on PubMed → 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
