A carrier containing silicon carbide, inorganic bonding component, and at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of a niobium oxide, an antimony oxide, and a tungsten oxide carries at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of a vanadium oxide and a molybdenum oxide as catalytically active component. An inexpensive catalyst for catalytic oxidation use can be thus offered that does not change its properties over a period of time, that boasts stable catalytic activity over a period of time, and that is suitable for, e.g., manufacture of an acid anhydride and a nitrile compound by conducting a catalytic gas-phase oxidation reaction (partial oxidation reaction) on a hydrocarbon.