Scientific name Siluridae Higher classification Catfish | Order Siluriformes Phylum Chordata Rank Family | |
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Lower classifications Wels catfish, Amur catfish, Silurus, Kryptopterus bicirrhis, Kryptopterus | ||
Siluridae kryptopterus minor ghost glass catfish strange behaviour
Siluridae is the nominate family of catfishes in the order Siluriformes. There are about 105 living species of silurids in 14 genera.
Although silurids occur across much of Europe and Asia, they are most diverse in Southeast Asia, beyond which their diversity decreases in temperate East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Southwest Asia, and Europe. Silurids are apparently absent from much of central Asia. The family can be divided into two groups, a temperate Eurasian clade and a more diverse subtropical/tropical south and southeast Asian clade.
These catfish do not have spines before their dorsal fins or adipose fins, and their pelvic fins are either small or absent. The anal fin base is usually very long. The largest species in this family is Silurus glanis, the Wels catfish, which can grow to lengths of over 3 m (9.8 ft) and weigh over 300 lb (140 kg).
