Over all color dar k or light and yellowish.Upper body mottled pale yellow-brown and black. Bellyand lower head white and belly with black spots. Barbelsdark brown. Mouth superior. Pectoral fin spine coarselyserrated. Three pairs, and in some adults, two pairs ofbarbels. Maxillary barbel length about equal to headlength. Anterior mandibular barbels, when present, shorterthan posterior mandibular barbels. Maxillary barbelreaches only to end of head. Maxillary barbels longerthan head. Teeth long, strong and recurved. Vomerineteeth in two patches. Lower jaw longer than upper jaw.Gill rakers reaching one below when appressed. Stomachlarge and elongate and intestine with three loops. Mostlyin open and vegetated rivers and in lakes and marshes onfloods. Young more tolerant to high temperatures andlow oxygen. Maximum total length 2 m and weight morethan 50 kg. Maturity at 3-4 years. Spawning in March toJune, peaking in April, on vegetation. Absolute fecundityup to 120,000 eggs of up to 4.2 mm in diameter. Food mostlyinclude fish, also, shrimps, crabs, aquatic insects and molluscs.