Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758

Saad, Adib, Çiçek, Erdoğan, Esmaeili, Hamid Reza, Fricke, Ronald, Sungur, Sevil & Eagderi, Soheil, 2023, Freshwater fishes of Syria: a revised and updated annotated checklist- 2023, Zootaxa 5350 (1), pp. 1-62 : 34-35

Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758 [I]—Wels catfish; Sallour furati

Taxonomy. Original description: Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758: 304 [Orient, less frequently in European lakes; syntypes: BMNH 1853.11.12.168 (1, skin), NRM 59 (1)].—Syrian synonyms: None.—Revisions: Berg (1949:904).—Illustration: Berg (1949: 904-905, figs. 656-657); Jawad et al. (2021 a).

Status in Syria. First record from Syria by Beckman (1962: 176); listed in FishBase by Bartley (2006); confirmed by Saad et al. (2006).—Syrian materials: None.

Distribution and habitat. Distribution in Syria: Euphrates River and Orontes River basin.—Distribution in River Basin: 4-Orontes.—General distribution: North America; Eastern Europe to central Asia. Widely introduced elsewhere.—Distribution in Ecoregion: 437-Orontes.—Habitat: This species inhabits large and medium-sized lowland rivers, backwaters, and well-vegetated lakes. Spawns in shallow, warm, and well vegetated riverine habitats without current. Freshwater.

Economic importance. Commercially important.

Conservation. Conservation Status in Syria: Unknown.—IUCN: LC ( IUCN 2023).—Threats: HAB.—Low sensitivity to human activities.—Not considered as a keystone species.—Decline status: Unknown.—Low priority for conservation action.

Remarks. Due to its use in aquaculture, it has become widespread in Syria, especially in the Orontes basin, the Euphrates River, the Khabour River, and some coastal rivers (where catfish breeding farms are located near them, such as the Al-Sin River, Al Kabeer Al Shmali River, and the Al Kabeer Aljanoubi River).