Clarias batuClarias batu

Conservation Actions

There are no species-specific conservation actions directed towards this species. More information on the distribution, biology, population size and trends, and the current and potential threats to this species is needed. The entire range of this species is included within a forest reserve (IUCN and UNEP-WCMC 2019). However, there are no regulations pertaining to the extraction of this species within the protected area, and the protected area is in place primarily to prevent logging.

Location Information

This species is restricted to Tioman Island off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia, where it is endemic (Lim and Ng 1999).

Geographic Range

Extant

Malaysia

Population Information

There is little available information on the population and its trends for this species. However, sampling effort in 1996 and again in 2018 report a marked decline in the abundance of this species (Ng H.H. pers. comm. 2019, A. Ahmad pers. comm. 2019).

Threats

The major pervasive threats to this species include habitat loss resulting from tourism development, land-use changes associated with agricultural practices, and surface and groundwater abstraction for domestic and agricultural uses (A. Ahmad pers. comm. 2019). However, the magnitude of these threats have not been well-studied and warrant future research. Additionally, Oreochromis niloticus and Barbonymus schwanefeldii have been intentionally stocked for local consumption, but there is no information regarding the impact of these species on the population status of Clarias batu.

IUCN Red List Account Link

Please click here to see the species' IUCN Red List Account page.