Sperata seenghala

Sperata seenghala, the Giant river-catfish, is a species of bagrid catfish. It is known locally as Guizza, Guizza ayer, Auri, Ari, Pogal, Singhara and Seenghala, among other names.^[3] It is found in southern Asia in the countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh with reports of occurrence in Myanmar,^[2] Thailand and Yunnan, China. It can reach a length of 150 cm (4 ft 11 in), though lengths up to 40 cm (1 ft 4 in) are more usual. It is commercially fished for human consumption as well as being a popular gamefish with a reputation for being a good fighter when hooked. It is carnivorous in diet. It can be distinguished from other Sperata species by its spatulate, blunt snout, relatively short barbels and mouth that is only 1/3 as wide as the head is long.^[4]

Sperata seenghala

dorsal view of head showing snout shape

Sperata seenghala
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Bagridae
Genus:	Sperata
Species:	S. seenghala
Binomial name
Sperata seenghala (Sykes, 1839)
Synonyms[2]
Sperata sarwari (Mirza, Nawaz & Javed, 1992) Aorichthys seenghala (Sykes, 1841)