Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin Mekong River Commission Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin A.F. Poulsen, K.G. Hortle, J. Valbo-Jorgensen, S. Chan, C.K.Chhuon, S. Viravong, K. Bouakhamvongsa, U. Suntornratana, N. Yoorong, T.T. Nguyen, and B.Q. Tran. Edited by K.G. Hortle, S.J. Booth and T.A.M. Visser MRC 2004 1 Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin Published in Phnom Penh in May 2004 by the Mekong River Commission. This document should be cited as: Poulsen, A.F., K.G. Hortle, J. Valbo-Jorgensen, S. Chan, C.K.Chhuon, S. Viravong, K. Bouakhamvongsa, U. Suntornratana, N. Yoorong, T.T. Nguyen and B.Q. Tran. 2004. Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin. MRC Technical Paper No. 10. ISSN: 1683-1489 Acknowledgments This report was prepared with financial assistance from the Government of Denmark (through Danida) under the auspices of the Assessment of Mekong Fisheries Component (AMCF) of the Mekong River Fisheries Programme, and other sources as acknowledged. The AMCF is based in national research centres, whose staff were primarily responsible for the fieldwork summarised in this report. The ongoing managerial, administrative and technical support from these centres for the MRC Fisheries Programme is greatly appreciated. The centres are: Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre, PO Box 9108, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Department of Fisheries, 186 Norodom Blvd, PO Box 582, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Udon Thani Inland Fisheries Research and Develoment Centre, Suppakij-Junya Rd., Amphur Muang, Udon Thani, 41000, Thailand. Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 2, 116 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St., District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam. Copyright: Mekong River Commission 184 Fa Ngoum Road, Unit 18 Ban Sithane Neua, Sikhottabong District Vientiane 01000 Lao PDR P.O. Box 6101 Vientiane, Lao PDR Email: [email protected] Editors: K.G. Hortle, S.J. Booth and T.A.M. Visser Series Editor: Delia Paul Photos: Walter J. Rainboth, Tyson R. Roberts, Chavalit Vidthayanon, Zeb Hogan, Joseph G. Garrison, and Kent G. Hortle Design and Layout: Boonruang Song-ngam The opinions and interpretations expressed within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mekong River Commission. 2 Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin Table of Contents Summary .....................................................................................................................................................5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Fish Migration ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Migration Systems................................................................................................................................. 18 Future Directions .................................................................................................................................. 19 Species information ............................................................................................................................... 20 Aaptosyax grypus Rainboth, 1991 ..................................................................................................... 22 Bagarius yarrelli (Sykes, 1839) ......................................................................................................... 24 Bangana behri (Fowler, 1937) ........................................................................................................... 26 Boesemania microlepis (Bleeker, 1858-59) ....................................................................................... 29 Botia modesta Bleeker, 1865 .............................................................................................................. 31 Catlocarpio siamensis Boulenger, 1898 ............................................................................................ 34 Chitala blanci (d’Aubenton, 1965) .................................................................................................... 37 Chitala ornata (Gray, 1831) .............................................................................................................. 39 Cirrhinus microlepis Sauvage, 1878 .................................................................................................. 41 Cirrhinus siamensis (Sauvage, 1881) and C. lobatus (Smith, 1945) ................................................ 44 Cyclocheilichthys enoplos (Bleeker, 1850) ...................................................................................... 47 Hampala dispar Smith, 1934 ............................................................................................................. 49 Hampala macrolepidota (Valenciennes, 1842) ................................................................................. 51 Helicophagus waandersii Bleeker, 1858 .......................................................................................... 53 Hemibagrus filamentus (Fang & Chaux, 1949) ................................................................................ 55 Labeo chrysophekadion (Bleeker, 1850) ......................................................................................... 58 Lycothrissa crocodilus (Bleeker, 1851) ............................................................................................ 60 Mekongina erythrospila Fowler, 1937 .............................................................................................. 62 Micronema apogon (Bleeker, 1851) and M. bleekeri (Günther, 1864) ............................................ 64 Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769) ............................................................................................... 67 Osteochilus hasseltii (Valenciennes, 1842) ....................................................................................... 69 Pangasianodon gigas Chevey, 1930................................................................................................. 71 Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878)............................................................................ 74 Pangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880 ................................................................................................... 77 Pangasius conchophilus Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 .................................................................. 80 Pangasius krempfi Fang & Chaux, 1949........................................................................................... 82 Pangasius mekongensis Gustiano, Teugels and Pouyaud, 2003 ....................................................... 86 Pangasius larnaudii Bocourt, 1866 .................................................................................................. 88 Pangasius pleurotaenia Sauvage, 1878 ............................................................................................ 91 Pangasius elongatus Pouyaud, Gustiano and Teugels, 2002............................................................. 93 Pangasius macronema Bleeker, 1851 ............................................................................................... 95 Pangasius sanitwongsei Smith, 1931 ................................................................................................ 98 Paralaubuca typus Bleeker, 1865 ................................................................................................... 101 Probarbus jullieni Sauvage, 1880 and P. labeamajor Roberts, 1992 ........................................... 104 Puntioplites falcifer Smith, 1929 ..................................................................................................... 108 Tenualosa thibaudeaui (Durand, 1940) .......................................................................................... 110 Wallago attu (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) ....................................................................................... 113 References............................................................................................................................................ 115 3 Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin 4 Distribution and Ecology of Some Important Riverine Fish Species of the Mekong River Basin Summary The fishery of the Mekong River is one of the largest and most significant in the world, and most of the production is based on migratory river fishes. An earlier report provided an overview of the general patterns of fish migrations and their significance for management. This complementary report provides more detailed information on 40 key species which are significant in the Mekong River fishery. For each species we provide notes on distribution, feeding, size, population structure, critical habitats, life cycle and its importance in fisheries. The information presented is mainly from surveys carried out throughout the lower Mekong Basin over the period 1995-2001 by fisheries agencies in each country, coordinated by the MRC Fisheries Programme and funded by Danida. The report also references other relevant published information. Fish migrations of the Mekong fall within three broad “systems”, that is general