Collection: Captivating Catch

 CAPTIVATING CATCH

The wide variety of fish is not only limited to the wide oceans. In fresh water, fish had also spread into a large array of shapes and forms. Some evolved hard scales for protection while others had adapted to air breathing to survive longer during dry seasons. Some also evolved weird features to get around and look for food, and some remained unchanged since ancient times. These fish are some of the most popular large fish known to have lived in fresh water.

Captivating Catch, acrylic on canvas, 2021. Set of 9, each piece 8" X 8" 

Mekong Giant Catfish

Mekong Giants, acrylic on canvas, 2021

The Mekong river, a long river that flows through five Asian countries (China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam), is home to several species of large fish. One of them is the massive Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). Unlike other catfish, the Mekong giant catfish lacked barbels (whiskers) and teeth. It is known to grow very quickly and attain a maximum size of three meters in length. However, it is a threatened species due to habitat loss and overfishing. The Mekong river is also home to the giant freshwater stingray (Urogymnus polylepis, bottom), the world's largest freshwater stingray. Like the catfish, the stingray is also threatened by overfishing in the Mekong river.

Sturgeons

Sturgeons, acrylic on canvas, 2021

Sturgeons are a type of ancient fish that are known to have lived a long life - some specimens are said to have lived to the age of about 100. Two species of sturgeon are depicted in the painting: the beluga sturgeon (Huso huso, bottom) and the green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris, top). Both these species are present in Russia. The beluga is one of the largest sturgeons and also one of the largest freshwater fish. Sturgeons spend part of their lives in salt water and possess dermal scutes, which are large scales lining across their bodies, as a means of protection. Sturgeons are heavily fished for their eggs and roe, which are used to make caviar. The overfishing of sturgeons for the caviar harvest drove some species, including the beluga, to the brink of extinction.

Electric Eel

Slippery Shocker, acrylic on canvas, 2021

The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is actually not related to true eels but is actually more closely related to catfish. It is well-known for its ability to generate electrical currents to stun prey. Electric eels are also air breathers and inhabit the Orinoco and Amazon rivers in South America. They shared the rivers with another fish with a fearsome reputation: the piranha (bottom right). Unlike the electric eel which is a solitary hunter, piranhas hunt in schools. It has a larger relative, the tambaqui or pacu (Colossoma macropomum, left) which is omnivorous. 

Northern Pike

Pike and Perch, acrylic on canvas, 2021

The northern pike (Esox lucius) is a predatory fish that lives in rivers across northern Eurasia, Canada and the northernmost USA. It is named after a sharp pole weapon which the fish is shaped like. It is a popular sporting fish in its native range. The fish below the pike in the painting is a common perch (Perca fluviatilis), another popular fish for anglers throughout Europe and in Russia. The perch is Finland's national fish.

Salmon

The Salmarathon, acrylic on canvas, 2021

Salmon are one of the most widely-known freshwater fish. One of the best represented salmon species is the sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), that can be identified from the red coloring the species acquires during the spawning season. In that season, the salmon travel upstream from the sea to designated spawning grounds to reproduce. The fish above them is a close relative of salmon, the steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). When these trout are commercially fished, they are often marketed as a type of salmon.

Alligator Gar

Alligator Gars, acrylic on canvas, 2021

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is one of the largest freshwater fish in North America. Primitive-looking in appearance, its head resembles that of an alligator's and had the ability to breathe air. Unlike other fishes, the scales of an alligator gar are bone-like and strengthened by enamel, which provide excellent protection from predators. Alligator gars are carnivores that ate primarily fish. The white variant shown in the painting is the "platinum" breed of alligator gar, which is bred in some Asian countries as aquarium fish.

Giant Snakehead

Snakehead Among Featherbacks, acrylic on canvas, 2021

The giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes, known in Malay as toman) is a large fish that can be found in Southeast Asian countries, particularly Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Like other snakeheads, it is able to breathe air thanks to a a primitive lung located just behind the gills. The giant snakehead is regarded as a game fish in Southeast Asia, and is also made into a food source in the same area. The two unusual-looking fish surrounding the snakehead are a pair of clown featherbacks (Chitala ornata, known in Malay as belida). These featherbacks can be found in several countries in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. They are known for their long, knife-like body with a long anal fin and flag-like dorsal fin. They are exotic fish in the aquarium trade and had also been made into a food fish in Thailand.

Super Red Arowana

Super Red Arowana, acrylic on canvas, 2021

There is a variety of distinct Asian arowana variations based on color. The variation pictured in the painting is the Super Red Arowana, which can be found in the Indonesian part of Borneo. It is a highly sought-after variation for aquarium hobbyists and fish keepers for its metallic red hue, but is probably one of the most critically endangered variations of Asian arowana in the wild. The fish below the arowana in the painting is a tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Originally from Africa, tilapias are invasive species in Southeast Asia, and are widely fished there as a popular food fish.

Paddlefish

Paddlefish Pair, acrylic on canvas, 2021

There are two types of paddlefish: the American (Polyodon spathula) and the critically-endangered Chinese (Psephurus gladius) paddlefishes. The species in the painting is the American species. Paddlefishes are known for the large paddle-shaped snout that extends nearly one-third of their body length. The "paddle" contains a large number of electrical receptors which detect small electrical signals and tiny vibrations when the animal searches for food, much like what is found on the noses of sharks. The fish below the paddlefish pair is a juvenile white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). Paddlefish and sturgeons are very closely related and belong to the same family.