CLASSIFICATION OF CLARIUS : MAGUR
Phylum :- CHORDATA ( Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).
Group :- CRANIATA ( Cranium with brain present ).
Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present ).
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present ).
Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)
Class :- OSTEICHTHYES ( Bony fishes ).
SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII ( Ray finned fish ).
SUPER ORDER :- TELEOISTEI ( Bony fish proper).
Order :- CYPRINIFORMES ( Anterior vertebrae fused. Webrian ossicles present between air bladder and ear).
FAMILY :- CLARIDAE
GENUS :- Notopterus
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Clarius is distributed in India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Malaya Archipelago
HABIT AND HABITAT
- Clarius batrachus is found in fresh and brackish waters. It takes a wide variety of food including clams, insect larvae and crustaceans living in dirty ponds and muddy water. They act as scavangers.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF CLARIUS : MAGUR
- Commonly called as cat-fish or magur. Body is divided into head, trunk and tail.
- It is characterized by its spikeless dorsal fin, which extends all along the body from operculum to caudal fin. Anal fin ,also extends from caudal fin to middle of the body. Pectoral and ventral fins
closely placed. - Head is flat with four pairs of non-contractile and sensory barbels. Head bones are superficially exposed. Head contains reduced eyes and nostrils.
- Body is covered by scaleless and naked skin.
- Dendritic accessory branchial apparatus supplements gill respiration and hence fish can live for a very long period outside water.
- Air bladder is physostomous.
- Spiracles absent. Lateral line distinct.
- Parietals, symplectics and sub-operculum absent.
- Tail is laterally compressed, diphycercal and having rounded caudal fin.
- Weberian ossicles connecting internal ear and air bladder present.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
Magurs are much valued for food.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Magur supplements gill respiration with accessory organs of respiration. It can remain away out of water for long time. It can also travel a distance of 112 km on its paired fins and is called as walking fish. On land respiration by accessory respiratory organs.
IDENTIFICATION
This fish has peculiar dorsal fin, barbles and above features, hence it is Clarius.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitala_chitala
- https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/78637/12/12_chapter-4.pdf
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- SOURCES OF IMAGES – https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvegetables24x7.com%2Fproduct%2Fmangur-fish%2F&psig=AOvVaw1OEeGIG0I2FSIZDLHTcEEM&ust=1603944343371000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjox_C3tNbsAhUFWysKHcDNBlcQr4kDegUIARDDAQ
- https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiamart.com%2Fproddetail%2Fmangur-seeds-19640682597.html&psig=AOvVaw1OEeGIG0I2FSIZDLHTcEEM&ust=1603944343371000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=2ahUKEwjox_C3tNbsAhUFWysKHcDNBlcQr4kDegUIARC0AQ
