The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

ISSN 2307-8235 (online)

IUCN 2020: T166433A60584003
Scope(s): Global
Language: English

Notopterus notopterus
Assessment by: Ng, H.H.

View on www.iucnredlist.org

Citation: Ng, H.H. 2020. Notopterus notopterus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020:
e.T166433A60584003. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en

Copyright: © 2020 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written
permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged.

Reproduction of this publication for resale, reposting or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written
permission from the copyright holder. For further details see Terms of Use.

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species Programme, the IUCN
Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State
University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe;
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London.

If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown in this document, please provide us with
feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided.

THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™

Taxonomy
Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family

Animalia Chordata Actinopterygii Osteoglossiformes Notopteridae

Scientific Name:  Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769)

Synonym(s):
• Gymnotus notopterus Pallas, 1769

Taxonomic Source(s):
Kottelat, M. 2013. The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibiography of
the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
Supplement No. 27: 1-663.

Taxonomic Notes:
Notopterus notopterus is a very widespread species that most likely represents a species complex.

Assessment Information
Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published: 2020

Date Assessed: August 30, 2019

Justification:
Although this species is possibly declining in parts of its range as a result of overfishing, pollution and
resulting habitat loss, the very large extent of occurrence (EOO: 11,564,600 km2) mediates this and it is
not thought that any global population decline is likely to meet (or be close to meeting) the threshold
for a threatened category. Notopterus notopterus is therefore assessed as Least Concern.

Previously Published Red List Assessments

2010 – Least Concern (LC)
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T166433A6208173.en

Geographic Range
Range Description:
This species is known from the Indus River drainage in the Indian subcontinent eastwards to the coastal
rivers draining the eastern face of the Annamite Range and southwards to the Malay Peninsula, from
the Siak River drainage southwards to the Musi River drainage in Sumatra and the Pesanggrahan River
drainage eastwards to the Kali Garang River drainage in Java (Roberts 1992). It has been introduced into
Singapore (Ng and Tan 2010). The extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated at 11,564,600 km2, based on
a minimum convex polygon calculated from georeferenced data (GBIF 2019).

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 1
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Country Occurrence:
Native, Extant (resident): Bangladesh; Cambodia; India; Indonesia (Jawa, Sumatera); Lao People's
Democratic Republic; Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia); Myanmar (Myanmar (mainland)); Nepal; Pakistan;
Thailand; Viet Nam

Extant & Introduced (resident): Singapore

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 2
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Distribution Map

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 3
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Population
This species is common throughout its range. As such, the population trend is suspected to be stable or
declining at a rate that precludes it from a threatened category. Notopterus notopterus holds a
populations resilience of doubling within 1-4 years (Husnah 2015).
Current Population Trend:  Stable

Habitat and Ecology (see Appendix for additional information)

This potamodromous species inhabits fresh and brackish waters in swamp forest, floodplains, still or
stagnant backwaters and ponds, lakes, and river mouths (Sule et al. 2016, Yanwirsal et al. 2017), as well
as in artificial habitats such as irrigation ditches and paddy fields (Tanaka et al. 2015). It is carnivorous,
feeding on insects, fish, crustaceans and sometimes young aquatic plant roots (Husnah 2015), and can
swim backwards as well as forwards (Yanwirsal et al. 2017). In Cambodia, it moves from the Mekong
River to floodplains during the wet season, swimming back to the mainstream or other permanent
water bodies during the dry season (Takagi et al. 2010). It breeds in the rainy season via external
fertilisation (Husnah 2015) and spawns during the day. It is a substrate spawner, with females laying
relatively small numbers of eggs on to submerged vegetation which the male then guards until hatching.
In captivity sexual maturity is reached at around 30 months, at 275 mm in males and 230 mm in females
(Yanwirsal et al. 2017), and they can reach 40-60 cm in size (Poulsen and Valbo-Jørgensen 2000, Husnah
2015).

Systems:  Freshwater (=Inland waters), Marine

Use and Trade

This species is an important food fish throughout its range and has great commercial value, and is both
wild caught and captive bred. In Cambodia, it generated the most value for exporters over one year
when compared to other food fish (Mille et al. 2016). It is also found in the ornamental aquarium fish
trade (Mohanty and Samanta 2016).

Threats (see Appendix for additional information)

This species is threatened by both over harvesting for the food and aquarium trade, and pollution
throughout its range, although the impact of these threats on the overall population is unknown. In
countries such as Cambodia, this species experiences heavy fishing pressure, and illegal fishing gear
such as mosquito net fences catch large amounts of small fish and juveniles and limit movement
between habitats (Ngor et al. 2003). Pollution from industrial, domestic and agricultural sources has
degraded the freshwater habitat of this species and led to detectable increases in heavy metal
concentrations in fish tissue (Shah et al. 2009, Mohanty and Samanta 2016).

Conservation Actions (see Appendix for additional information)

More research into population trends in the wild is required to understand the status of this widespread
species, while research into its taxonomy, ecology, harvest and potential threats is also recommended.
This species is widely distributed and occurs in several protected areas throughout its range (IUCN and
UNEP-WCMC 2019).

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 4
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Credits
Assessor(s): Ng, H.H.

Reviewer(s): Lyons, T.J.

Contributor(s): Molur, S., Daniels, A. & Palmer-Newton, A.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 5
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Bibliography
GBIF. 2008. GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Service. Accessed: March 23rd, 2008. (Accessed:
Available at: http://data.gbif.org/).

Husnah, H. 2015. Diversity, morphological characters and habitat of fish in Musi River drainage area,
South Sumatra. Center for fisheries research and development.

IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-1. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org.
(Accessed: 19 March 2020).

IUCN and UNEP-WCMC. 2019. The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA). Cambridge, UK
Available at: https://www.protectedplanet.net/. (Accessed: 4 January 2019).

Mille, G., Hap, N. and Loeng, N. 2016. Economic value of fish in Cambodia and value added along the
trade chain. Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute (Fisheries Administration) and
WorldFish: 62.

Mohanty, D. and Samanta, L. 2016. Multivariate analysis of potential biomarkers of oxidative stress in
Notopterus notopterus tissues from Mahanadi River as a function of concentration of heavy metals.
Chemosphere 155: 28-38.

Ng, H.H. and Tan, H.H. 2010. An annotated checklist of the non-native freshwater fish species in the
reservoirs of Singapore. Cosmos 6(1): 95-116.

Ngor, S., Aun, L.D., and Hortle, K.G. 2003. The dai trey linh fishery on the Tonle Touch (Touch River),
southeast Cambodia. Proceedings of the 6th Technical Symposium on Mekong Fisheries.

Poulsen, A.F. and Valbo-Jørgensen, J. 2000. Fish migrations and spawning habits in the Mekong
mainstream–a survey using local knowledge (basin-wide). Assessment of Mekong fisheries: fish
migrations and spawning and the impact of water management component. Mekong River Commission,
Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Roberts, T.R. 1992. Systematic revision of the old world freshwater fish family Notopteridae. Ichthyol.
Explor. Freshwater 2(4): 361-383.

Shah, A.Q., Kazi, T.G., Arain, M.B., Baig, J.A., Afridi, H.I., Kandhro, G.A., Khan, S. and Jamali, M.K. 2009.
Hazardous impact of arsenic on tissues of same fish species collected from two ecosystem. Journal of
hazardous materials 167(1-3): 511-515.

Sule, H.A., Ismail, A. and Amal, M.N.A. 2016. A Review of the Ichthyofauna of Malaysian Peat Swamp
Forest. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science 39(4): 421-458.

Takagi, A.P., Ishikawa, S., Nao, T., Song, S.L., Hort, S., Thammavong, K., Saphakdy, B., Phomsouvanhm, A.,
Nishida, M. and Kurokura, H. 2010. Genetic differentiation and distribution routes of the bronze
featherback Notopterus notopterus (Osteoglossiformes: Notopteridae) in Indochina. Biological journal of
the Linnean Society 101(3): 575-582.

Tanaka, W., Warranasiriserekul, R., Tomiyama, Y., Yamasita, T., Phinrub, W., Chamnivikaipong, T.,
Suvarnaraksha, A. and Shimatani, Y. 2015. Influence of Floodplain Areas on Fish Species Richness in
Waterbodies of the Chao Phraya River Basin, Thailand. Open Journal of Ecology 5: 434-451.

Yanwirsal, H., Bartsch, P. and Kirschbaum, F. 2017. Reproduction and development of the asian bronze
featherback Notopterus notopterus (Pallas, 1769)(Osteoglossiformes, Notopteridae) in captivity.
Zoosystematics and Evolution 93(2): 299-324.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 6
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Citation
Ng, H.H. 2020. Notopterus notopterus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020:
e.T166433A60584003. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en

Disclaimer
To make use of this information, please check the Terms of Use.

External Resources
For Supplementary Material, and for Images and External Links to Additional Information, please see the
Red List website.

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 7
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
 Appendix

Habitats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Major
Habitat Season Suitability
Importance?

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.1. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent - Suitable -

Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.4. Wetlands (inland) - Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, - Suitable -
Fens, Peatlands

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.5. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater - Suitable -

Lakes (over 8ha)

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.6. Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent - Suitable -

Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.7. Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater - Suitable -

Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)

5. Wetlands (inland) -> 5.8. Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent - Suitable -

Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)

9. Marine Neritic -> 9.10. Marine Neritic - Estuaries - Suitable -

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.1. Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage - Marginal -
Areas (over 8ha)

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.2. Artificial/Aquatic - Ponds (below - Marginal -
8ha)

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.3. Artificial/Aquatic - Aquaculture - Marginal -

Ponds

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.7. Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land - Marginal -
(includes irrigation channels)

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.8. Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally - Marginal -

Flooded Agricultural Land

15. Artificial/Aquatic & Marine -> 15.9. Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and - Marginal -
Drainage Channels, Ditches

Use and Trade

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

End Use Local National International

Pets/display animals, horticulture Yes No No

Food - human No No Yes

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 8
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
Threats
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Threat Timing Scope Severity Impact Score

5. Biological resource use -> 5.4. Fishing & harvesting Ongoing - - Low impact: 3
aquatic resources -> 5.4.1. Intentional use:
(subsistence/small scale) [harvest]

9. Pollution -> 9.1. Domestic & urban waste water -> Ongoing - - Low impact: 3
9.1.1. Sewage

9. Pollution -> 9.2. Industrial & military effluents -> Ongoing - - Low impact: 3
9.2.3. Type Unknown/Unrecorded

9. Pollution -> 9.3. Agricultural & forestry effluents -> Ongoing - - Low impact: 3
9.3.4. Type Unknown/Unrecorded

Conservation Actions in Place

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

Conservation Action in Place

In-place research and monitoring

Action Recovery Plan: No

Systematic monitoring scheme: No

In-place land/water protection

Conservation sites identified: Yes, over part of range

Area based regional management plan: No

Occurs in at least one protected area: Yes

Invasive species control or prevention: Not Applicable

In-place species management

Harvest management plan: No

Successfully reintroduced or introduced benignly: No

Subject to ex-situ conservation: No

In-place education

Subject to recent education and awareness programmes: No

Included in international legislation: No

Subject to any international management / trade controls: No

Research Needed
(http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/classification-schemes)

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 9
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
 Research Needed
1. Research -> 1.1. Taxonomy

1. Research -> 1.2. Population size, distribution & trends

1. Research -> 1.3. Life history & ecology

1. Research -> 1.4. Harvest, use & livelihoods

1. Research -> 1.5. Threats

Additional Data Fields

Distribution
Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) (km²): 11564600

Population
Continuing decline of mature individuals: Unknown

Population severely fragmented: No

Habitats and Ecology

Movement patterns: Nomadic

© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Notopterus notopterus – published in 2020. 10
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en
The IUCN Red List Partnership

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species
Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership.

The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens
Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;
Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London.

THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™