The First Report of Non-Indigenous Catfish, Bagarius bagarius (Family: Sisoridae) in the Inland Waters of Northeastern Iraq

A single specimen of Bagarius bagarius (Hamilton, 1822), a freshwater catfish native to the Indian subcontinent, has been documented for the first time in the inland waters of Iraq. The individual was caught by angling from the Sirwan River (Diyala Province, northeastern Iraq; 34°20'46.22"N, 45°10'23.82"E) on 3 July 2024 and, and measured 370 mm in total length. This discovery represents the first confirmation of this non-native species in Iraqi freshwater ecosystems and highlights the increasing role of the global aquarium trade in facilitating aquatic species invasions. The unintended introduction of B. bagarius into this ecosystem is likely attributable to ornamental fish trade, which has been implicated in translocation of more than 1,000 freshwater species in more than 125 countries. Such trade practices pose significant challenges for natural resource managers to identify and mitigate potential invasive species due to the extreme diversity of taxa traded.