Iridescent Shark

Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)

Scientific Name: Pangasius hypophthalmus

Common Name: Iridescent Shark, Pangasius Catfish, Sutchi Catfish, Striped Catfish, Thailand Catfish

Adult Size: 48 inches

Life Expectancy: 20 years

Habitat: Southeast Asia

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Ideal Tank Conditions:

Temperature Range: 72 - 79°F

pH Range: 6.5 - 7.5

Water Hardness: 2 - 29

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; a flake-based diet is usually recommended which will cover their base needs. In addition, include live food as well to meet their protein needs. Options include bloodworms, brine shrimp, worms and feeder fish

Breeding & Spawning: Challenging due to the conditions required. The sheer amount of space they need is enough to stop breeding efforts before they start. In their natural habitat they seek out massive bodies of water before breeding, which is difficult to replicate in a standard aquarium. As migratory fish, they also need to go through this process and cover distance before they consider breeding. If they haven’t migrated it doesn’t click in their brain that breeding can be an option. Again, this is something you can’t fake or replicate in a standard tank.

Gender: Females are larger and plumper than males.