Back dar k, sides lighter and belly white withbluish speckles. Body mottled with brown, green or darkgrey. Fins dark brown. Iris yellowish with black speckles.Lower jaw longer than upper one. One pair of maxillaryand two pairs of mandibular barbels. Maxillary barbelmuch longer than head. Pectoral fin spine finely serratedor smooth. Vomerine teeth form a single broadpatch. Females with longer maxillary barbels, longerpostorbital length and greater caudal peduncle depth. NoScales or adipose fin. Small pelvic and dorsal fins. Inlarger water bodies over soft bottoms and with warm,deep waters and slow current. Tolerates brackish waterand moderately low oxygen levels. Nocturnal and solitary.Maximum age 22 years, total length 3 m and weight150 kg. Maturity at 2-4 years, 51 cm total length and 1.2kg. Spawning from April to mid-June, non-intermittent,at water temperature of 20-22°C on vegetation. Absolutefecundity up to 100,000 adhesive yellow eggs with a diameterof up to 3 mm. Males nest on fine roots of plantsand gaurd eggs. Sex ratio 1male:2females. Food mostlyinclude fishes, also Crustaceans, insects, amphibians andbivalves. Cannibalism occurs if short in food.