Lica Goonch Catfish (Bagarius lica)
Image source: Alfonsus Toribio Eko Saputro | inaturalist.org
General data
- Main name: Lica Goonch Catfish
- Local names: Goonch Catfish
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Freshwater
- Native: Asia
- Distribution: Chao Phraya, Mekong, Mae Klong, Musi River (Indonesia)
Classification
- Genus: Bagarius - Bagarius
- Family: Sisoridae - Asian adhesive catfishes
- Order: Siluriformes - Catfishes
- Class: Actinopteri - Ray-finned fishes
- Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes
Description
Lica goonch catfish, is a large and powerful freshwater catfish native to Southeast Asia. It belongs to the family Sisoridae and is specially adapted to life in fast-flowing rivers.
With its flattened head, strong body and long sensory barbels, it is built to hunt and survive among rocks and strong currents, where many other fish cannot compete. This species inhabits deep channels, rapids and rocky stretches of major tropical rivers. It avoids small streams and prefers large, well-oxygenated waters with strong flow.
Bagarius lica is found across several important Southeast Asian river systems, including the Mekong River Basin, Chao Phraya River Basin, Mae Klong River Basin, Musi River Basin in Sumatra, Kapuas River Basin in Borneo, Rajang River Basin in Sarawak, and other major drainages of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.