Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Striped Catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus is a large catfish native to Southeast Asia. It has been broadly introduced throughout Asia for aquacultural purposes, and within the U.S., it has been collected from Florida and Illinois. U.S. records of P. hypophthalmus are thought to result from aquarium releases and do not represent established populations. The climate match to the contiguous U.S. is low overall, with medium match occurring only in extreme southern Florida and Texas. Negative impacts have been reported from Bangladesh, but the information available does not rise to the level of clear and convincing evidence. Potential negative impacts have been voiced for introduced P. hypophthalmus in India. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the impacts of P. hypophthalmus introduction, overall risk assessment category is uncertain.