A 55kg Bagarius bagarius (Devil catfish or Dwarf goonch) was caught in a river in Bangladesh on November 11, 2017. B. bagarius has a conservation status of Near Threatened and can grow up to 2m long. It is found in rivers in South and Southeast Asia and has several common names in local languages. B. bagarius is harvested for food and for the ornamental trade, and local fishermen believe it has medicinal properties to treat hepatitis.
8. Taxonomic notes on Genus Bagarius
* At present the standard is to recognise two species of Bagarius from
India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
* First Bagarius bagarius, supposedly a small species (up to 20 cm or
7.9 in) first described in 1822 by F.B. Hamilton (Type locality: Ganges river,
India).
* The second is Bagarius yarrelli, supposedly a very large species (up to
2 m or 6.6 ft) first described in 1839 by W. H. Sykes (Type locality: Mula-
Mutha river, Pune, M.S., India).
* This larger type has been accused of several fatal attacks on humans in
the Mahakali river that is Nepal’s's western border with India.
* Recent studies have not been able to document that more than one
species exists in the Indian subcontinent, which, if confirmed, would mean
that the name Bagarius bagarius is a Senior Synonym of Bagarius yarrelli.
* In contrast, Southeast Asian populations typically included in Bagarius
bagarius likely represents a separate species.
9. Devil catfish or Dwarf goonch, Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton) 1822
Global Distribution
Asia: Ganges, Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Reported from Salween, Maeklong and Peninsular
Thailand, Vietnam, india
Local Distribution
Ganga River and its tributaries, Assam (Brahmaputra and Barak drainages), Duars of West
Bengal: Teeta, Torsa, Jaldhaka, Kaljani, Gharghoria, Mansai etc
Habitat and Ecology
SYSTEM: FRESH WATER (= INLAND WATER)
HABITAT TYPE: WETLANDS (INLAND)
Conservation Status : Near Threatened (NT) in India and Bangladesh
Population Trend : Decreasing
Food value: Bagarius bagarius are harvested heavily in different parts
of its range as food fish and for ornamental trade and as sport fish.
As per local fisherman’s review, Bagarius bagarius has medicinal
value to control hepatitis diseases.
10. References
Alfred W. Thomson, Lawrence M. Page (2006): Genera of the Asian Catfish Families
Sisoridae and Erethistidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes). Zootaxa 1345, 1-96: 27-27,
Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2012). Bagarius bagarius in Fishbase. January
2012 version.
Ng, H.H. (2010). “Bagarius yarrelli”. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version
2011.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
