The traditional development of catch-and-fattening aquaculture for this species, particularly in Vietnam and to a lesser extent in Thailand and Cambodia, probably began because it is a prolific reproductive species, producing a relatively large number of easily harvested larvae.

•  Distribution: This freshwater river species originates from the Mekong River, the Chaopraya River and possibly the Mekong basins in Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Vietnam, along with the Ayeyawady Basin of Myanmar. Aquaculture introductions have been made in several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is highly migratory and makes long-distance movements along several hundred kilometres (potamodromous).
•  Feed: P. hypophthalmus is omnivorous, feeding on algae, plants, zooplankton and insects, while larger specimens also eat fruit, crustaceans and fish.
•  Farming: In tanks, ground ponds and cages.
•  Repro: Females take at least three years to reach sexual maturity in captivity (then weighing more than 3 kg), while males tend to mature in their second year, probably taking about the same time in nature. A mature female of 10 kg can spawn more than one million eggs. Spawning takes place in May and June at the beginning of the monsoon season. In the dry season, this and other species congregate and shelter in deeper river areas.