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A fresh water fish species from Adan river of Painganga basin from the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra state India.

Butter catfish

Asian sheatfish valued for delicate flesh and fish balls.

Photo: Nilesh Heda, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The butter catfish is a sheatfish native to South and Southeast Asia. It reaches 45 cm in length and faces near threatened status due to overfishing concerns.

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  • Reaches a maximum length of 45 cm
  • Valued for delicate flesh and fish balls
  • Listed as near threatened by IUCN
  • Found in Mekong Basin of Vietnam

What it is

This species belongs to the sheatfish family and grows up to 45 centimetres long. It is native to several Asian nations including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Recent surveys have also found it in Myanmar and the Mekong Basin of Vietnam. In Thailand, locals call it pla cha-on. It is one of several similar looking catfish sold in markets under the name pla nuea on.

Where it lives

The fish inhabits freshwater systems across South and Southeast Asia. Its known range covers Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Scientists have recently identified populations in Myanmar as well. It also lives in the Mekong Basin within Vietnam. These waters support the species throughout its distribution area.

Butter catfish
A drawing made by EveryFish from what this page says. It is a diagram, not a picture of the real fish.

Fish and people

Markets value this catfish for its delicate flesh. Cooks use it to prepare high quality fish balls. It is part of the group known as pla nuea on in Thai commerce. The species supports local food traditions in the regions where it is caught and sold.

Status and threats

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as near threatened. This classification stems from limited data that suggests overfishing may be causing widespread population declines. Experts note uncertainty regarding the identity of some populations labelled as this species. They state there is an urgent need for taxonomic, harvest and population studies.

Butterfish (Pabda) found in lakes and large rivers throughout South and Southeast Asia.
Butterfish (Pabda) found in lakes and large rivers throughout South and Southeast Asia.. Photo: Salil Kumar Mukherjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Callichrous bimaculatus = Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794)
Callichrous bimaculatus = Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794). Photo: Sir Francis Day, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Questions people ask about Butter catfish

Where does the butter catfish live?

It is native to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It has also been identified in Myanmar and the Mekong Basin of Vietnam.

Why is it considered near threatened?

Limited data suggests overfishing and possible widespread population declines. There is also uncertainty about the identity of some populations classified under this name.

How is this fish used in food?

It is valued for its delicate flesh. People also use it to make high quality fish balls in local cuisines.

Good reading and sources

Where this page comes from

The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Ompok bimaculatus", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryFish rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.

It may contain mistakes, and figures change over time. Nothing here is investment or buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-15.

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Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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