The bronze featherback (Notopterus notopterus) is a ray-finned fish in the family Notopteridae found in South and Southeast Asia. Although primarily found in fresh water, it has been known to enter brackish water.[2] At present, it is the only member of the genus Notopterus,[3] but as currently defined, it is likely a species complex.[1]

Bronze featherback
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Osteoglossiformes
Family: Notopteridae
Genus: Notopterus
Lacépède, 1800
Species:
N. notopterus
Binomial name
Notopterus notopterus
(Pallas, 1769)
Red:extant , Green: introduced
Synonyms
  • Notopterus bontianus Valenciennes, 1848
  • Notopterus kapirat Lacepède, 1800
  • Notopterus osmani Rahimullah & Das, 1991
  • Notopterus pallasii Valenciennes, 1848

Description

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Young specimens are a dark bronze-like color that becomes lighter with age. The species reaches a length up to 60 cm (24 in).[2]

The bronze featherback can easily be kept in an aquarium. Popular as food, this fish also appears in a stamp of the Kingdom of Laos.[4]

As food

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This fish has been used as food in Southeast Asia since ancient times,[5] and remains an important food item in countries such as Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand. It is preserved and prepared in different ways.

In Burmese cuisine, the flesh of the bronze featherback, locally known as ngaphe, is used in ngachin, a pressed fish pickle, and is used to make fish paste.[6]

In Thai cuisine, a variety of nam phrik with minced roasted pla salat is eaten along with raw vegetables. It is popular in Khorat.[7] Although much smaller in size, it is similar in appearance to the Chitala ornata, another important fish in Thai cuisine.

 
Dried and smoked Pla salat, a Khorat specialty
 
Ready-to-eat nam phrik pla salat pon

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Ng, H.H. (2020). "Notopterus notopterus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T166433A60584003. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T166433A60584003.en. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Notopterus notopterus". FishBase. February 2022 version.
  3. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Notopterus". FishBase. February 2022 version.
  4. ^ WoRMS - Notopterus notopterus
  5. ^ Charles Higham, A. Kijnga ed. The Origins of the Civilization of Angkor: Volume VI The Iron Age. page 43. IV 'The Fish Remains'
  6. ^ "ပဲခူးငါးချဉ်စျေးကွက် ဆက်လက်ဖွံ့ဖြိုးနေ". Department of Consumer Affairs (in Burmese). Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  7. ^ Nam phrik pla salat pon recipe
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