The iridescent shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) is a species of shark catfish (family Pangasiidae) native to the rivers of Southeast Asia. It is not a shark. It is found in the Mekong basin as well as the Chao Phraya River, and is heavily cultivated for food there. It has also been introduced into other river basins as a food source, and its striking appearance and iridescence have made it common in the fishkeeping hobby. Their omnivorous diet consists of crustaceans, other fish, and plant matter.
Read more about Iridescent Shark: Names, Distribution and Habitat, Physical Characteristics, Culinary Profile, In The Aquarium
Famous quotes containing the words iridescent and/or shark:
“Paradox is the poisonous flower of quietism, the iridescent surface of the rotting mind, the greatest depravity of all.”
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955)
“They will tell you tough stories of sharks all over the Cape, which I do not presume to doubt utterly,—how they will sometimes upset a boat, or tear it in pieces, to get at the man in it. I can easily believe in the undertow, but I have no doubt that one shark in a dozen years is enough to keep up the reputation of a beach a hundred miles long.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)