iWalking catfish
Conservation status
Secure
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Siluriformes Family: Clariidae Genus: Clarias Species: C. batrachus
Binomial name
Clarias batrachus Linnaeus, 1758

The walking catfish, Clarias batrachus, also known as the magur or pla duk dam, is a species of airbreathing catfish with the ability to "walk" out of the water and across land. Its "walk" is more like a sort of wriggling motion with snakelike movements, as well as using its pectoral fins as "legs". This fish normally lives in slow-moving and often stagnant waters in ponds, swamps, streams and rivers (Mekong and Chao Phraya basins), flooded rice paddies or temporary pools which may dry up. When this happens, its "walking" skill comes in handy for moving to other sources of water. Image File history File links Clarias_batrachus. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Bryozoa... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Families Akysidae Amblycipitidae Amphiliidae Ariidae Aspredinidae Astroblepidae Auchenipteridae Bagridae Callichthyidae Cetopsidae Chacidae Clariidae Claroteidae Cranoglanididae Diplomystidae Doradidae Hypophthalmidae Ictaluridae Loricariidae Malapteruridae Mochokidae Nematogenyidae Pangasiidae Parakysidae Pimelodidae Plotosidae Schilbeidae Scoloplacidae Siluridae Sisoridae Trichomycteridae Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a diverse group of fish. ... Genera Allabenchelys Channallabes Clariallabes Clarias Dinotopteroides Dinotopterus Dolichallabes Encheloclarias Gymnallabes Heterobranchus Horaglanis Platyallabes Platyclarias Tanganikallabes Uegitglanis Xenoclarias Xenoglanis Airbreathing catfishes are fishes comprising the family Clariidae. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Genera Allabenchelys Channallabes Clariallabes Clarias Dinotopteroides Dinotopterus Dolichallabes Encheloclarias Gymnallabes Heterobranchus Horaglanis Platyallabes Platyclarias Tanganikallabes Uegitglanis Xenoclarias Xenoglanis Airbreathing catfishes are fishes comprising the family Clariidae. ... Water stagnation occurs when water stops flowing. ... View of the Mekong before sunset The Mekong is one of the worlds major rivers. ... A view of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok The Chao Phraya (Thai แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา) is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial river plain marking the mainland of the country. ... A rice paddy in Japan A paddy field is a flooded parcel of farmland for growing rice (from the Malaysian word padi, a noun meaning growing rice). Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice-growing countries of East and Southeast Asia, such as China, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia...

Walking catfishes are around 30 cm (a foot or so) in length and has an elongated body shape. This catfish has long-based dorsal and anal fins as well as several pairs of sensory barbels. The skin is scaleless but covered with mucus, which protects the fish when it is out of water. Dorsal Fin of the Orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... This koi carp has two pairs of barbels, the second pair being quite small. ...

In the wild, the natural diet of this creature is omnivorous; it feeds on smaller fish, mollusks and other invertebrates as well as detritus and aquatic weeds. It is a voracious eater which consumes food rapidly and this habit makes it a particularly harmful invasive species. Pigs are omnivores. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora Monoplacophora Bivalvia Scaphopoda Gastropoda Cephalopoda † Rostroconchia The mollusks or molluscs are the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar creatures well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Chevalier de Lamarck to describe any animal without a backbone or vertebra, like insects, squids and worms. ... Detritus may refer to: In geology, detritus is the name for loose fragments of rock that have been worn away by erosion. ... Lantana Invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel; May 2, 2006 The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species or non-indigenous species. ...

The walking catfish is a native of South East Asia including eastern India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Indonesia, Singapore, and Borneo. It was probably introduced into the Philippines. The catfish is a tropical animal and prefers a water temperature in the range of 10 - 28°C. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Borneo (left) and Sulawesi. ...

In the United States it is a nonindigenous invasive species, which is now established in Florida and reported from California, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Lantana Invasion of abandoned citrus plantation; Moshav Sdey Hemed, Israel; May 2, 2006 The term invasive species refers to a subset of those species defined as introduced species or non-indigenous species. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the remainder of this article may require cleanup. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The walking catfish was imported to Florida, reportedly from Thailand, in the early 1960s for the aquarium trade. The first introductions apparently occurred in the mid-1960s when adult fish imported as brood stock escaped, either from a fish farm in northeastern Broward County or from a truck transporting brood fish between Dade and Broward counties. Additional introductions in Florida, supposedly purposeful releases, were made by fish farmers in the Tampa Bay area, Hillsborough County in late 1967 or early 1968, after the state banned the importation and possession of walking catfish. Aquarium releases likely are responsible for introductions in other states. Dill and Cordone (1997) reported that this species has been sold by tropical fish dealers in California for some time. A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold blooded, covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Landsat image of Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the western coast of Florida, made up of Old Tampa Bay, Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, and the New Tampa Bay. ... Hillsborough County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ...

In Florida, walking catfish are known to have invaded aquaculture farms, entering ponds where these predators prey on fish stocks. In response, fish farmers have had to erect protective fences to protect ponds. Authorities have also created laws that banned possession of Walking Catfishes.

External links

• fishbase article for Clarias batrachus
• public domain NAS species fact sheet for Clarias batrachus
• Blurb on non-native walking catfish invasion in Florida
• http://issg.appfa.auckland.ac.nz/database/species/ecology.asp?si=62&fr=1&sts=sss Global Invasive Species Database
• Wolfgang Ros: "Clarias batrachus - Erfolgreiche Froschwels-Nachzucht im Aquarium", Datz 7/2004: 13-15.
• Wolfgang Ros: "Clarias batrachus - Auslösen der Fortpflanzung bei Froschwelsen", Datz 4/2006: 33-37.
• Wolfgang Ros: "Pair behaviour of the 'Walking Catfish', Clarias batrachus", Scotcat (Aquarist site by Allan James).