Hemibagrus guttatus (La Cepede, 1803)

Ng, Heok Hee & Kottelat, Maurice, 2013, Revision Of The Asian Catfish Genus Hemibagrus Bleeker, 1862 (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Bagridae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61 (1), pp. 205-291 : 216

HEMIBAGRUS GUTTATUS SPECIES GROUP

Artificial key to the members of the H. guttatus species group

1. Adipose fin partially confluent with principal rays of caudal fin; dark brown body typically with few very small black spots less than one quarter eye diameter; swim bladder single-chambered (Changjiang, Qiantang Jiang and Zhujiang drainages) ............ .......................................................................... H. macropterus

– Adipose fin not confluent with principal rays of caudal fin; grey or light yellowish body with small black spots one quarter eye diameter or more; swim bladder double-chambered..............2

2. Pectoral spine extending beyond vertical through base of dorsal spine; vertebrae 51–54 (Qiantang Jiang, Song Hong and Zhujiang drainages) ................................................. H. guttatus

– Pectoral spine not extending to vertical through base of dorsal spine; vertebrae 58–59 (Song Ca, Song Hong and Song Quan drainages)........................................................... H. vietnamicus

Remarks. — Members of the H. guttatus species group are capable of growing to large sizes: H. macropterus has been reported to reach sizes of 408 mm SL ( Anonymous, 1976) while H. guttatus has been reported to reach 1000 mm TL ( Nichols, 1943). Specimens of H. vietnamicus approx. 850 mm TL in size were seen (but not preserved) by HHN in the markets of Hanoi.