Pangasius larnaudii Bocourt, 1866
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Pangasius larnaudii, the black ear catfish, or the spot pangasius is a species of freshwater shark catfish endemic to Mekong and Chao Phraya basins. The fish can grow up to 130 cm (4.3 ft) in length and weigh around 46 kg (101.4 lb). It resembles the giant pangasius (P. sanitwongsei) in the same genus, but differs in having shorter, less pointed fins, a rounder belly, and a distinct large black spot located just behind the pectoral fin. In Thailand, it is known as thepho (Thai: เทโพ, pronounced [tʰēː.pʰōː]) or hu-mat (หูหมาด, pronounced [hǔː.màːt̚], lit. 'black ear'), the latter name referring to the black spot. It is commonly found in association with schools of iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). Its flesh is considered highly palatable, with the abdominal portion being especially valued for its richness in fat. Historically, it served as the principal ingredient in Kaeng thepho (แกงเทโพ), a traditional Thai curry prepared with fish and water spinach. The dish derives its name directly from the fish.
Wikipedia contributors, Pangasius larnaudii; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:29:39.277510+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Pangasius larnaudii Bocourt, 1866
- Name authority
- Bocourt, 1866
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Family
- Pangasiidae
- Genus
- Pangasius
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderSiluriformes
- familyPangasiidae Bleeker, 1858
- genusPangasius Valenciennes, 1840
- speciesPangasius larnaudii Bocourt, 1866
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Pangasius. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| basa fishPangasius bocourti Sauvage, 1880 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius djambal Bleeker, 1846 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius kinabatanganensis Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius mahakamensis Pouyaud, Gustiano & Teugels, 2002 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius polyuranodon Bleeker, 1852 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius humeralis Roberts, 1989 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius krempfi Fang & Chaux, 1949 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius rheophilus Pouyaud & Teugels, 2000 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius nasutus (Bleeker, 1863) | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius sabahensis Gustiano, Teugels & Pouyaud, 2003 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius silasi Dwivedi, Gupta, Singh, Mohindra, Chandra, Easawarn, Jena & Lal, 2017 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Pangasius conchophilus Roberts & Vidthayanon, 1991 | PangasiidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Pangasius burgini Fowler, 1937 Fowler, 1937 | synonym |
| Pangasius larnaudiei Bocourt, 1866 Bocourt, 1866 | synonym |
| Pangasius larnaudieri Bocourt, 1866 Bocourt, 1866 | synonym |
| Pangasius taeniura Fowler, 1935 Fowler, 1935 | synonym |
| Pangasius larnaudei Bocourt, 1866 Bocourt, 1866 | synonym |
| Pangasius larnaudi Bocourt, 1866 Bocourt, 1866 | synonym |
| Pangasius taeniurus Fowler, 1935 Fowler, 1935 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Bocourt, F. (1866). III. Poissons. In: Notes sur les reptiles, les batraciens et les poissons recueillis pendant un voyage dans le royaume de Siam. Nouvelles Archives Du Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, v. 2: 11–20, Pl. 1. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4CCDG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.