Siamese tigerfish
species of fish
The Siamese tigerfish (Datnioides pulcher), also known as the Siamese tiger perch, is a species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Lobotidae, the tripletails and tiger perches. This fish is endemic to Indochina and is assessed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
Taxonomy
The Siamese tigerfish was first formally described as Coius pulcher in 1998 by the Swiss ichthyologist Maurice Kottelat with its type locality given as Bung Borapet in Thailand. Following his description of C. pulcher Kottelat determined that the type species of the genus Coius, Coius cobojius, was a junior synonym of Anabas testudineus so Coius is a junior synonym of Anabas, with Datnioides being the correct name for the tiger perch genus. The Siamese tigerfish and the finescale tiger perch (D. microlepis) were considered to be conspecific as D. microlepis until Kottelat described D. pulcher. The 5th edition of the Fishes of the World classifies this genus as one of two genera in the family Lobotidae, alongside the tripletails in the genus Lobotes, which it places in the order Spariformes.
Etymology
The Siamese tigerfish has the specific name pulcher, meaning "beautiful", a choice Kottelat did not explain but is thought to be an allusion to its barred colour pattern.
Description
The Siamese tigerfish has the toothless palatine and vomer characteristic of the tiger perches, as is the rounded caudal fin is rounded and rounded lobes on the anal and second dorsal fins creating the appearance of having three caudal fins. This species has 4, occasionally 5, wide vertical bars on the orange-brown body. The first bar runs from the nape over the operculum and onto the thorax and around the lower surface of the body, the second starts at the base of the spiny part of the dorsal fin to immediately in front of the origin of the anal fin, the thirds extends from the join of the spint and sift rayed parts of the dorsal in to the soft rayed part of the anal fin and the fourth bar is on the rear part of the caudal peduncle. The area of the back in front of the origin of the dorsal fin is straight.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Siamese tigerfish” is species of fish. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Siamese, tigerfish and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of fish” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5641741. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1998.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Siamese tigerfish”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Siamese tigerfish primary sources, Siamese tigerfish archive and Siamese research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Siamese tigerfish”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Siamese tigerfish” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.