Silurus biwaensis
| Giant Lake Biwa catfish | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Siluridae |
| Genus: | Silurus |
| Species: | S. biwaensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Silurus biwaensis Tomoda, 1961
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Silurus biwaensis, the giant Lake Biwa catfish, is a large predatory catfish species endemic to Lake Biwa in Japan.
Description[edit]
The giant Lake Biwa catfish is very similar to wels catfish, which it is closely related to. It has an elongated cylindrical body and can reach up to 1.18 m (3 ft 10 in) in length and weigh as much as 17 kg (37 lb).[1] The top of the body is dark grey to black in colour while the underside is a pale, whitish colour.
Life cycle[edit]
They prey on fish and frogs which live in the lake. S. biwaensis is the largest predatory fish in Lake Biwa.[2] Using telemetry methods researchers tried to explain the migratory behavior of the species. It was found that the fish are more or less site-faithful and mostly stay close to their spawning grounds.[3] Other studies have shown that the sub-populations of the lake hardly mix.[4]
Relationship to humans[edit]
Some fishermen believe that the catfish change their behavior and become very active when an earthquake is imminent.[5] In Japanese mythology, a giant catfish named Namazu causes earthquakes as he moves below the Earth's surface.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Silurus biwaensis" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
- ^ "Lake Biwa Facts". Lake Biwa Museum. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ Takai, N.; Sakamoto, W.; Maehata, M.; Arai, N.; Kitagawa, T.; Mitsunaga, Y. (1997). "Settlement characteristics and habitats use of Lake Biwa catfish Silurus biwaensis measured by ultrasonic telemetry". Fisheries Science. 63 (2): 181–187. doi:10.2331/fishsci.63.181. ISSN 0919-9268. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
- ^ Takai, Noriyuki; Sakamoto, Wataru (1 August 1999). "Identification of local populations of Lake Biwa catfish in Japan on the basis of δ13C and δ15N analyses". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 77 (2): 258–266. doi:10.1139/z98-210.
- ^ The Best Earthquake Predictor is a Catfish.
- ^ Ashkenazi, Michael (2003). Handbook of Japanese Mythology. Santa Barbara (Calif.): ABC-CLIO. p. 220. ISBN 1576074676.