Biology of selected Clarias catfish species used in aquaculture

Abstract

Catfish are important organisms used extensively in aquaculture. For this review, we are focusing on specific species of catfish in the genus Clarias, primarily Clarias batrachus, C. gariepinus and C. macrocephalus, because of their widespread use in aquaculture and the considerable amount of information that has been amassed on different aspects of their biology. This review summarizes information available on topics ranging from the taxonomy and geographic distribution of these catfish to work done on them at the genetic, molecular biological and genomic levels. This information may be useful in future efforts to grow and expand their use in aquaculture.

Haplotype-resolved assembly of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) provides insights for semi-terrestrial adaptation of airbreathing catfishes

“…The Clariidae family, commonly referred to as airbreathing catfish, constitutes a group of freshwater fishes that can thrive out of water for extended periods of time by breathing oxygen from the atmosphere 1,2 . Some of these facultative air breathers have adapted to terrestrial life by developing the ability to walk on land in sinuous movements using their pectoral fins and a protective mucous layer, helping them to retain moisture 3,4 .…”

“…Some of these facultative air breathers have adapted to terrestrial life by developing the ability to walk on land in sinuous movements using their pectoral fins and a protective mucous layer, helping them to retain moisture 3,4 . These traits enable them to survive in environments with low oxygen levels or stagnant water, such as mangrove swamps, muddy water or flooded forests, which expand their access to new habitats and food sources 2,5 . To survive in such environments with changing oxygen tensions, this group of fish has developed a bimodal gas exchange capacity in which the gill extracts oxygen from water and the accessory respiratory organ extracts it from the air.…”

Overcoming taxonomic challenges in DNA barcoding for improvement of identification and preservation of clariid catfish species

“…In particular, the yield of clariid catfish (Clarias) reached 94,277 tons in 2022 in Thailand [1]. Clariid species, such as walking catfish (Clarias batrachus), bighead catfish (C. macrocephalus), and whitespotted clarias (C. fuscus), are common in the global aquaculture market [2][3][4][5][6]. However, their habitat loss, overfishing, and introduction of North African catfish (C. gariepinus) through various trade channels have significantly been decreasing the populations of walking and bighead catfish.…”