| Biology |
Inhabits large
rivers. Omnivorous, feeding on fish and crustaceans as well
as on vegetable debris. A migratory species, moving upstream
of the Mekong from unknown rearing areas to spawn in unknown
areas in May-July and returning to the mainstream when the
river waters fall seeking rearing habitats in September
-December. South of the Khone Falls, upstream migration
occurs from October to February, with peak in
November-December. This migration is triggered by receding
water and appears to be a dispersal migration following the
lateral migration from flooded areas back into the Mekong at
the end of the flood season. Downstream migration takes
place from May to August from Stung Treng to Kandal in
Cambodia and further into the Mekong Delta in Viet Nam. The
presence of eggs during March to August from Stung Treng to
Kandal indicates that the downstream migration is both a
spawning and a trophic migration eventually bringing the
fish into floodplain areas in Cambodia and Viet Nam during
the flood season. Common in the lower Mekong, where the
young are collected for rearing in floating fish cages. In
the middle Mekong it is represented by large individuals
that lose the dark coloration of the juveniles and subadults
and become grey without stripe. One of the most important
aquaculture species in Thailand. Aquarium keeping: in groups
of 5 or more individuals; not recommended for home
aquariums; minimum aquarium size >150 cm. |
