Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus), recorded as Endangered
Iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Iridescent shark

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus

Iridescent shark is a ray-finned fish in the family Pangasiidae (order Siluriformes) — Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Taxonomy
Siluriformes · Pangasiidae · Pangasianodon

Appearance

Even so, large adults are uniformly grey. The fins are dark grey or black.

Adults reach up to 130 cm (4.3 ft) in length and can weigh up to a maximum of 44 kg (97 lb).

Range and habitat

Iridescent sharks originate in the large rivers Chao Phraya and Mekong in Asia, though they have been introduced into other rivers for aquaculture. The iridescent shark is a migratory fish that in most regions moves upstream to spawn during the flood season while the waters are high and returns downstream to seek rearing habitats when the river water levels recede. The dates of the migrations vary depending on the river system.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

The swai's omnivorous diet consists of crustaceans, other fish, and plant matter.

In crisis

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.

Iridescent shark is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Iridescent shark, Wikidata item Q312296. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Mekong giant catfish

Pangasianodon gigas
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii

Quick answers

What is Iridescent shark?
Iridescent shark is a ray-finned fish in the family Pangasiidae (order Siluriformes) — Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.
What is the conservation status of Iridescent shark?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Iridescent shark live?
The iridescent shark is a migratory fish that in most regions moves upstream to spawn during the flood season while the waters are high and returns downstream to seek rearing habitats when the river water levels recede.
Why is Iridescent shark in crisis?
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.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Pangasianodon hypophthalmus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Iridescent shark a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.