All fish / Pangasiidae

Giant Pangasius

Pangasius sanitwongsei

Also known as chao phraya giant shark, giant pangasius, paroon shark, chao phraya catfish, giant pangasius catfish, pla thepa, paroon catfish, giant shark catfish, ปลาเทพา, patin raksasa, パーカーホ, 巨无齿𩷶

A huge, shark-like catfish with a silvery body, dark back and a tall dorsal fin whose first ray extends into a long filament, often with white-tipped fins. It is sold as a small, active juvenile and kept mainly by public aquaria and owners of very large ponds or custom tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

150 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

20000 litres

Keep as

Singly or a small group in a very large system

Diet

Carnivore: fish, prawns, mussel and large sinking pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Chao Phraya and Mekong river basins (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China)

Breeding

It migrates to spawn in rivers and has not been bred in home aquaria. Juveniles in the trade come from wild collection or hatchery work in Thailand.

Good to know

Reaches 2 to 3 m in the wild and is far too large for almost any home aquarium; it panics easily and can injure itself on glass. It is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and will eat any fish it can swallow.