Listly by Joanna James
Thailand is an amazing destination for every nature lover. The zoos, sanctuaries, aquariums, and nature parks are all designed in such a way that they provide the maximum satisfaction to their visitors. If you are someone who loves fish, here is a list of native fish you can only find in Thailand.
The name of the species they belong to is Acrochordonichthys and are generally found at the bottoms of rivers. They have a long fin, and there are longitudinal rows along the side of their body. They have a broader head compared to the other native fish in Thailand.
It's a highly threatened species only found in Thailand. They can be often found in the basins of Tapi and Pattani. It's a small freshwater fish whose species name is Ellopostoma mystax.
This species is also known as the red tail shark and red tail shark minnow. This is also a freshwater fish but currently has been listed as a critically endangered species due to habitat loss. It can be easily distinguished because of its black body and the red tail (which can also take an orange colour sometimes).
They say the breeding of this species happens in the Salween basin in Mae Hong Son province in Thailand. But, since this Salween shares the border between Thailand and Myanmar, they also say, this species probably can exist in Myanmar as well. It's a ray-finned fish that tends to move with a group always.
The name of the species is Pomacentrus polyspinus although it is commonly referred to as the Thai damsel. You can only find this fish in the Andaman Sea and the Eastern Indian Ocean. Phuket is believed to be one of the popular breeding places of Thai damsel according to the records.
Locals have given the name 'pla tapien ang daeng' to them. The speciality of these is that they do have a huge tinfoil barb that's golden yellow with red fins. They can be found in ditches and manmade canals as well.
Although the locals call it 'pla tjon gnoo how', cobra snakehead or great snakehead are how many fishermen know about them. They can be found in lakes with densely growing vegetation in Thailand.
Most of the endemic fish listed in this article are freshwater ones that can be still found (but rarely) in places like the Mekong and Chao Phraya River. If you decide to spend a vacation at a hotel the likes of Maitria Hotel Sukhumvit 18 or to dine at a restaurant in Sukhumvit, do not forget to visit at least one of the aquariums located within close vicinities such as Underwater World Pattaya and SEA LIFE Bangkok Ocean World. In addition to seeing a good number of marine fish, both big and small, you can know a lot of unknown facts about them from the guides.