Bagridae are a family of
catfish that originate from
Africa and
Asia from
Japan to
Borneo.
These fish are commonly known as
naked catfishes or
bagrid catfishes.
Large Bagrids are important as food fish. Some species are kept as aquarium fishes.
Physical Characteristics
The dorsal fin is preceded by a spine (except in
Olyra). The adipose fin is present and can have a relatively long base in some species. The pectoral fin spine can be serrated. The body is completely naked (they have no scales). The maximum length is about .
Fishes of the Bagridae family have four pairs of well-developed
barbels covered by a layer of
taste bud-enriched
epithelium.
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of this family has changed rapidly. Nelson (2006) comments how "the family is very different from that recognized in Nelson (1994)".
Claroteidae and
Austroglanididae contain species that were previously Bagrids. Auchenoglanididae is considered by some sources to be a subfamily of Claroteidae and by others to be its own family, sister to
Heptapteridae. The taxonomy of the genus
Olyra has been debated.
It is unclear whether or not the family is monophyletic, and what its relationship to other catfishes might be.
