There are so many aquatic animals that live in water for most or all of their lifetimes. Their biodiversity plays an important role in the world, such as providing food, energy, and more.
We’re sure most of you must’ve been familiar with aquatic animals such as fishes – or are you not? Time to test your knowledge, have you ever seen the unfamiliar fishes mentioned below?
Tapah
The first one we will discuss may be the fish that you’ve seen often – or perhaps not? It is none other than one type of catfish. We call it Tapah, or Wallago attu, which is a large freshwater catfish native to South and Southeast Asia. The name “tapah” comes from the name of a city in the country of Perak, Indonesia.
They are a small fish predator – piscivorous – and have a body length that can reach 1.5 meters and can reach a weight of 35 kg! Sadly, due to environmental degradation, pollution, and lack of proper management, they are listed as “Near Threatened” according to The IUCN RedList.
Thai Redtail Catfish
Still in the catfish family, these fish are famous among anglers because of their fantastic size. Redtail Catfish, as the name suggests, comes from its beautiful red caudal fin. However, their caudal fin is white when young and will change its color after the length is 15 cm.
These catfish originate from the Mekong basin and are reported from Chao Phraya, Mae Klong, and peninsular Thailand river systems.
Black Pacu
Last but not least, this fish is a close relative of the Piranha, known as the Black Pacu. Unlike Piranhas, Black Pacu mainly feed on plant material and not flesh or scales, earning them the nickname “vegetarian piranha”. They are distributed in South America and the Essequibo River, inhabiting freshwaters such as rivers and lakes.
