Pangasius is a genus of catfishes (order Siluriformes) of the
shark catfish family. In 1993, Pangasius was one of two extant genera (along with Helicophagus) in the family Pangasiidae. At this point, it was split into four subgenera. Pangasius (Pangasianodon) included P. gigas and P. hypophthalmus and was diagnosed by the absence of mandibular barbels, the absence of teeth in adults and the presence of a single-lobed swimbladder.
It takes approximately 6 months to grow a market-sized pangasius – which means it’s often possible to grow two crops a year. The process usually begins by producing young fish in hatcheries, then stocking the fish in nurseries. When they reach appropriate size, they are moved to ponds, pens and cages for grow-out. Most often they are moved to ponds as this method is the most economical.
Pond size normally measures about 1 ha or less, but can sometimes reach up to 10 ha. Ponds are generally stocked at about 60-80 fish/m3 and require frequent water exchange (20-30 percent exchange twice a week) through a pump system. Fertilizer is not used in pangasius culture but sometimes chemicals and drugs are used to treat/prevent disease and address other health issues.
Feed varies by farm size. Larger-scale farms tend to favor manufactured feed pellets which are lower in
marine ingredients. The typical feed conversion rate (FCR) is 1.5-1.8. Smaller-scale operations often use farm-made feed, which is moist and therefore has higher FCR, ranging from 2.8 to 3.0.