Not to be confused with thefisher (animal), a mustelid sometimes called a "fisher cat"; nor theVan cat, a landrace of domestic cat nicknamed the "swimming cat".
Thefishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wildcat ofSouth andSoutheast Asia. It has a deep yellowish-grey fur with black lines and spots. Adults have a head-to-body length of 57 to 78 cm (22 to 31 in), with a 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) long tail. Males are larger than females, weighing 8 to 17 kg (18 to 37 lb), while females average 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 lb). It lives mostly in the vicinity ofwetlands, alongrivers,streams,oxbow lakes, inswamps andmangroves where it preys mostly on fish. Other prey items includebirds, insects, smallrodents,molluscs,reptiles includingsnakes,amphibians andcarrion ofcattle. The fishing cat is thought to be primarily nocturnal. It is a good swimmer and can swim long distances, even underwater.
The fishing cat has been listed as avulnerable species on theIUCN Red List since 2016, as the global population is thought to have declined by about 30% in the past three fishing cat generations during the period 2010–2015. The destruction of wetlands and killing by local people are the major threats throughout its range.
Felis viverrinus was proposed byEdward Turner Bennett in 1833, whodescribed a cat skin sent from India byJosiah Marshall Heath.[2] The genus namePrionailurus was proposed byNikolai Severtzov in 1858 for spotted wild cats native to Asia.[3] A subspeciesFelis viverrinus rhizophoreus was proposed in 1936 byHenri Jacob Victor Sody, who described a specimen from the north coast ofWest Java that had a slightly shorter skull than fishing cat specimens from Thailand.[4] There is evidence that the nominate taxon and the Javan fishing cat are distinguishable by skull morphometrics.[5]
The fishing cat has a deep yellowish-greyfur with black lines and spots. Two stripes are on the cheeks, and two are above the eyes running to the neck with broken lines on the forehead. It has two rows of spots around the throat. The spots on the shoulder are longitudinal, and those on the sides, limbs and tail are roundish.[2] The background colour of its fur varies between individuals from yellowish tawny to ashy grey, and the size of the stripes ranges from narrow to broad. The fur on the belly is lighter than on the back and sides. The short and rounded ears are set low on the head, and the back of the ears bear a white spot. The tail is short, less than half the length of head and body, and with a few black rings at the end.[9] The short dense layered fur is thought to be an aquatic adaptation providing a water barrier and thermal insulation, while another layer of protruding long guard hairs provides its pattern and glossy sheen.[10]
The fishing cat is the largest cat of thePrionailurus.[9] It is stocky and muscular with a head-to-body length ranging from 57 to 78 cm (22 to 31 in), a tail length of 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) and medium to short legs. Females weigh 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 lb) and males 8 to 17 kg (18 to 37 lb), showing pronouncedsexual dimorphism.[11][12] Its skull is elongated, with a basal length of 123–153 mm (4.8–6.0 in) and a post-orbital width of 27–31 mm (1.1–1.2 in).[9] Its tongue is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and has large, cylindricalpapillae near the front.[13]
Fishing cat paws are partlywebbed, and the claws are incompletely sheathed, only becoming partially covered when fully retracted.[9] It is about twice the size of adomestic cat.[11]
The fishing cat lives among dense vegetation near water and is thought to be primarilynocturnal. It is known to be a proficient long-distance and underwater swimmer. Adult males and females without dependent young are solitary. Females have been reported to range over areas of 4 to 6 km2 (1.5 to 2.3 sq mi), while males range over 16 to 22 km2 (6.2 to 8.5 sq mi). It has been observed resting in thick grassy habitats, often near a water body but sometimes far away from them. Adults have been recorded to vocalise "chuckling" sounds.[11]It marks itshome range using cheek-rubbing,head rubbing, chin rubbing, neck rubbing andurine-spraying to leavescent marks; it also sharpens its claws and displaysflehmen.[39] The pungent smell of fishing cat urine markings is due to3-Mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol, a breakdown product offelinine.[40]
Fishing catfeces collected in India'sKeoladeo National Park revealed that fish comprises about three-quarter of its diet, with the remainder consisting ofbirds, smallrodents andinsects;molluscs,reptiles,amphibians,carrion ofcattle andgrass supplement its diet.[41] Its main prey in theGodavari River delta isfish, includingflathead grey mullet,green chromide andMozambique tilapia, which comprised three fifths of its diet, whereas rodents andcrabs made up the remainder of the diet. The diet make-up remained relatively constant throughout the year.[42] Fishing cats have been observed while hunting along the edges of watercourses, grabbing prey from the water, and sometimes diving into the water to catch prey further from the banks.[11][43] It prefers hunting in shallow water and spends about half the time lying in wait for prey to approach.[44]
Juvenile fishing cat at the National Zoological Park
Wild fishing cats most likely mate during January and February; most kittens in the wild were observed in March and April.[11] However, fishing cats may mate as late as June.[14] In captivity, thegestation period lasts 63–70 days; females give birth to an average of two to three kittens; the litter size can be as small as one to as large as four.[39][14] Kittens weigh around 170 g (6.0 oz) at birth and are able to actively move around by the age of one month. They begin to play in water and to take solid food when about two months old, but are not fullyweaned until six months old. They reach full adult size when about eight and a half months old, acquire their adultcanine teeth by 11 months and are sexually mature when approximately 15 months old. They live up to 10 years in captivity.[11] Thegeneration length of the fishing cat is five years.[1]
Since 2016, the fishing cat is listed as avulnerable species on theIUCN Red List, as the global population is thought to have declined by around 30% in the years 2010–2015; the destruction ofwetlands and killings by local people are major threats to the fishing cat.[1]The destruction of wetlands includes increasedpollution or conversion for agricultural use and human settlements. The conversion ofmangrove forests to commercialaquaculture ponds is a major threat in Andhra Pradesh, and in some places fishing cats are killed.Over-exploitation of localfish stocks and retaliatory killing by local people are also significant threats. The fishing cat's habitat in India is predominantly marshlands, which are subject to agricultural usage under the country's laws, resulting inhuman–wildlife conflict. Coastal wetlands are an important habitat for the fishing cat in Thailand and Cambodia, however, estimates predict that only 6% of wetlands remain undisturbed.[1]
In West Bengal'sHowrah district, 27 dead fishing cats were recorded between April 2010 and May 2011, and inSagar Island, the fishing cat was possibly extirpated by local people for reasons unknown.[21] Deaths are more frequent in the dry season, when people use wetlands more frequently.[1] At least 30 fishing cats were killed by local people in Bangladesh between January 2010 and March 2013.[27] They are often killed because they are mistaken as tiger cubs.[51] In Thailand, 31% of radio-collared fishing cats were killed by local people between 2012 and 2015.[52] Fish farmers in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve have killed fishing cats in retaliation for perceived loss of fish.[53]Roadkills are a major mortality factor in Odisha.[23] The fishing cat is possibly extinct in coastalKerala, but it is doubtful whether it ever occurred there at all.[54]
The fishing cat is included onCITES Appendix II and protected by national legislation over most of its range. Hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Hunting regulations apply in Laos. In Bhutan, Malaysia, and Vietnam, it is not protected outside protected areas, and no information is known about its legal protections in Cambodia.[14] It is the state animal of the Indian state ofWest Bengal.[55] Its survival depends on protection of wetlands, prevention of indiscriminate trapping, snaring and poisoning.[1]
In areas where habitat degradation is a major concern, such as coastal Andhra Pradesh,non-governmental organizations are working to slow habitat conversion in collaboration with local villagers. Part of this work involves creating alternative livelihood programs that allow villagers to earn money without damaging natural habitats.[56][57] A Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance provides an umbrella for the cooperation of national fishing cat conservation groups, which began with the establishment of India's in 2010.[55]
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^abWerdelin, L.; Yamaguchi, N.; Johnson, W. E. & O'Brien, S. J. (2010)."Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae)". In Macdonald, D. W. & Loveridge, A. J. (eds.).Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 59–82.ISBN978-0-19-923445-5.Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved30 April 2020.
^abcdPocock, R. I. (1939)."Prionailurus".The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Vol. Mammalia. Vol. 1. Primates and Carnivora. London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd. pp. 266–284.
^"Fishing Cat".The International Society for Endangered Cats Canada. 2012.Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved25 May 2020.
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^Sadhu, A. & Reddy, G. V. (2013). "First evidence of Fishing Cat in the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India".Cat News (58):36–37.
^Prerna, S.; Raj, B.; Sharma, V.; Seshamani, G. & Satayanarayan, K. (2016). "First record of Fishing Cat in Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Agra, India".Cat News (63):19–20.
^Das, S. K.; Saha, R.; Mukherjee, S.; Danda, A. A. & Borah, J. (2017). "First estimates of fishing cat abundance and density in Lothian WS, Sundarbans, India".Cat News (66): 25−27.
^abPalei, S.H.; Das, P.U.; Debata, S. (2018). "The vulnerable fishing catPrionailurus viverrinus in Odisha, eastern India: status and conservation implications".Zoology and Ecology.28 (2):69–74.Bibcode:2018ZooEc..28...69S.doi:10.1080/21658005.2018.1468646.
^Malla, G. (2016)."Ecology and conservation of Fishing Cat in Godavari mangroves of Andhra Pradesh"(PDF). In A. Appel; J. W. Duckworth (eds.).Proceedings of the First International Fishing Cat Conservation Symposium, 25–29 November 2015, Nepal. Bad Marienberg, Germany and Saltford, Bristol, United Kingdom: Fishing Cat Working Group. pp. 48–50. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved4 October 2016.
^Kantimahanti, M. (2016)."Community-based Fishing Cat conservation in the Eastern Ghats of South India"(PDF). In A. Appel; J. W. Duckworth (eds.).Proceedings of the First International Fishing Cat Conservation Symposium, 25–29 November 2015, Nepal. Bad Marienberg, Germany and Saltford, Bristol, United Kingdom: Fishing Cat Working Group. pp. 51–54. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 8 October 2017. Retrieved4 October 2016.
^abChowdhury, S. U.; Chowdhury, A. R.; Ahmed S. & Muzaffar, S. B. (2015). "Human-fishing cat conflicts and conservation needs of fishing cats in Bangladesh".Cat News (62):4–7.
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^Jayasekara, D. & Mahaulpatha, W.A.D. (2022). "Modeling the habitat suitability for sympatric small and medium sized felids and investigating the spatiotemporal niche overlapping in Maduru Oya National Park, Sri Lanka".Journal of Wildlife and Biodiversity.6 (1):31–56.doi:10.22120/jwb.2022.542338.1378 (inactive 12 July 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
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