Iridescent shark Pangasianodon hypophthalmus Endangered
Where the iridescent shark lives – recorded in 10 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.
Pin and shaded countries are approximate. The pin is a representative wild sighting (a central record among 149 open-licence GBIF records), not an official range. Method · Records on GBIF · See bony fish on the world map
| Scientific name | Pangasianodon hypophthalmus |
|---|---|
| Group | Bony fish |
| Status | Endangered (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Found in | 10 countries |
| Continents | Africa, Asia, Europe, North America |
| Class | Ray-finned fish |
| Order | Siluriformes |
| Family | Pangasiidae |
Where does the iridescent shark live?
Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the iridescent shark in 10 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. In Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Mexico, Philippines it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Philippines (introduced)
- Egypt
- India (introduced)
- Cambodia (introduced)
- Italy
- Mexico (introduced)
- Bangladesh (introduced)
- Canada
Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.
Is the iridescent shark endangered?
The iridescent shark’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Endangered” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.
What kind of animal is the iridescent shark?
The iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) is a ray-finned fish in the order Siluriformes and the family Pangasiidae, genus Pangasianodon. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)
About the iridescent shark
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). It has also been introduced into other river basins as a food source, and its striking appearance and iridescence have made it popular with fishkeeping hobbyists, among whom it is also known as the Siamese shark catfish or sutchi catfish. The swai's omnivorous diet consists of crustaceans, other fish, and plant matter.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Iridescent shark (revision 1379208497), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q312296 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).
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