Talk:Iridescent shark

Perhaps a section discussing the controversy of the fish as a food export from Vietnam would be good. This article contains a report on the success of the Vietnamese in breeding the fish for food, which they export as 'dory' or 'sutchi' fillet. Other news articles report that the fish is contaminated with hormones, toxins and antibiotics. --Hooiying (talk) 08:51, 23 May 2009 (UTC)

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Now ilinked from shark and catfish pages. I recommend looking through some fish wiki Special:category and adding more info on the fish before removing stub entry. --Piotr Konieczny aka Prokonsul Piotrus 10:49, 30 Jun 2004 (UTC)

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The first reference and the external link to pictures both seem to be dead. Also, the second reference does not support the statement that keeping iridescent sharks in home aquariums "...is not recommended for beginners." The second reference clearly states iridescent sharks are not recommended for home aquariums. Period. As an aquarium hobbyist with an iridescent shark, I'm aware of the problems in keeping them as pets. But I question if someone is trying to pass off opinions, advice, or original research in claiming beginners should not have these fish. The source material says no home aquarium (beginning or advanced) should house iridescent sharks. More/better detail (with sources cited and details supporting "why/why not?") is necessary if wikipedia articles are going to tell people what they should/should not do. Thanks! 66.17.118.207 20:15, 30 June 2006 (UTC)

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I would not recommend an iridescent shark to the faint hearted. I have a 12' shark in a home aquarium. He is quite happy and displays none of the behavioural problems that are associated with keeping one. The only problem is that it eats anything that's smaller. The other fish must be at least 3/4 of his size or it becomes dinner. They have great personalities and are fun to watch. I agree with the comment above, first get info from the people who have been dealing with these fish before recommendations are made. Book knowledge can never give you the same info as personal experience. Otherwise quite informative, escpecially about the history. Thanks !

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hi

--Jadealicous (talk) 15:10, 19 February 2008 (UTC)jade--Jadealicous (talk) 15:10, 19 February 2008 (UTC) i am getting an iridecent shark and the pictures that i am seeing on here are not like the one i saw at the peet store

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Dubious: Stunting causes organ failure

I've yet to read anything in the fishkeeping press proving a connection between stunting (which happens with many fish species) and organ failure (no evidence I've seen at all). So far as I know, it's a myth held by hobbyists. Is stunting bad? Sure. Fish stunt when they're kept in poor conditions, and that means they're more prone to finrot, behavioural stress, etc. But do their organs actually stop working? Doubtful. It's likely connected with another myth, that organs keep growing even when the body size stops, causing the fish to explode! Wikipedia should take greater care not to promote myths, but stick with verifiable science. Cheers, Neale.

While there has not yet been significant proof of the continued growth of organs in stunted fish, there also has been limited exploration. The majority of research on stunted fish has been on growth potential and reproductive ability in fish bred and raised for food, and the length of stunting is usually measured in months. I looked a bit into that for this article. The article: Aquaculture Research; Jul2004, Vol. 35 Issue 9, p836-841, 6p, Effect of stunting of juvenile bighead carp... shows that such fish will resume almost normal growth, but shows extremely limited reproductive capability. Such fish stunted for over a year entirely lost the ability to breed. Other tests on other breeds of fish have produced similar results. Perhaps the language in the article should be toned down, but there is definite harm done by the very act of stunting, not just side-effects of the poor environment. Wyrdsol (talk) 01:05, 16 February 2009 (UTC)

Longevity and difficulty of maintaining is in error

I have a fine specimen well over two feet in length and currently 26 years old living in a 55 gallon tank. I rescued him from the previous owner who could not maintain the tank any longer. He has two Giant Danios two long finned Cherry Barbs and a beta (siamese fighting fish) as tank companions. He is generally docile, eats shrimp pellets, algae pellets, and flake food, mostly ignores the smaller fish and definitely dislikes the color red. (S)He is active strong and an excellent pet. I have always had Iridescent Sharks in my aquariums. To the best of my recollection all have lived long lives; most over 8 years. I sadly lost one this past winter at age 13 and approximately 12" long.

They are not particularly difficult fish though very active as youth. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.104.2.12 (talk) 05:40, 18 July 2010 (UTC)

I dispute the above claim

A 55 gallon tank is 48" x 13". A fish "well over two feet" kept in such an tank is NOT "active, strong and an excellent pet", it is tortured and probably malformed. Does the owner manually turn it around after it has swum the 18" he/she generously allows it, so it can swim 18" in the other direction? The fact that it has lived 26 years is remarkable and attests to the durability of the catfish and the owner's ability to keep the water clean despite the waste load of such a large fish, but this is hardly what I would call an example to publish. 208.104.90.134 (talk) 17:16, 1 August 2011 (UTC)Keith Langley, freshwater curator, Fintastic Aquarium

any info on proper care?

I had these as a child and found they were quite fragile. Very sensitive to water changes and stress, and I have heard that they like a bit of salt in the water. Truth be told, though, Pictus cats make better and more interesting pets, IMO--Ron E (talk) 01:59, 28 August 2011 (UTC)

Phosphorescence or iridescence?

The Names section states that "The fish is named for the glow or iridescence exhibited in juveniles..." Iridescence is having the appearance of different or changing colors when viewed from different angles, like a soap bubble. A glow would be phosphorescence, not iridescence. There is no reference given to support either assertion. Since the name of the fish is iridescent shark I'm guessing the statement is at least half wrong. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.91.251.145 (talk) 12:38, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

Article title

It seems to me this article might be better titled by scientific name. "Iridescent shark" is a common name used by aquarium hobbyists, but the fish is more widely known as food source marketed as "swai" (and packages of swai often list the scientific name in smaller text). Fishbase calls it "striped catfish", as does the FAO (and Fishbase does not list "iridescent shark" as a common name but does have "iridescent shark-catfish"). The "common name" is variable depending on context (aquarium fish vs. food source), and there is more than one common name for each context.Plantdrew (talk) 22:14, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Conservation status

I'm a bit confused by conflicting claims of whether "swai" is threatened or not. For one thing, the Red List gives a different species for "swai" (Pangasius elongatus); more importantly, and confusingly, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list says swai is a "Good Alternative" and is farm raised. As a seafood eater that tries to be ethical, I find this all very confusing... Floatjon (talk) 07:18, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

Wild populations are endangered, but there are many farms raising the fish in captivity. Conservation assessments are typically only concerned about wild populations (for another organism that is threatened in it's native range, but widely cultivated, see Pinus radiata). I'm not sure why the IUCN links "swai" to a different species, but pre-packaged frozen seafood (as opposed to unfrozen shrink-wrapped filets at the butcher's counter) is almost always labelled somewhere with a scientific name. Every package of swai I've ever noticed has been labeled Pangasius hypopthalmus. Plantdrew (talk) 18:20, 24 September 2014 (UTC)

I am having trouble understanding this paragraph

"Another interesting aspect of Pangasius is the sustainability of the farming. Pangasius is an omnivorous fish and therefore need a low level of proteins animal in its is the more viable solution as compared to the current development of carnivorous fishes with vegetable. Typical grading sizes are: 3-5 oz, 5-7 oz, and 7-9 oz."

"Pangasius is an omnivorous fish and therefore need a low level of proteins animal in its is the more viable solution as compared to the current development of carnivorous fishes with vegetable." This sentence could be worded/written better?