Walking catfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walking catfish |
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| A walking catfish with a spotted pattern, common in fish farms | |
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The walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) is a type of airbreathing catfish that lives in fresh water. It comes from Southeast Asia. This fish is famous for its amazing ability to "walk" on dry land! It wiggles its body and uses its pectoral fins to move around. It can do this to find food or a better place to live.
Walking catfish usually live in slow-moving or still waters. You can find them in ponds, swamps, streams, and rivers. They also live in flooded rice fields or temporary pools that might dry up. When their home dries out, their "walking" skill helps them move to other water spots. This fish can even survive out of water for up to 18 hours!
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What Makes the Walking Catfish Special?
The walking catfish has a long body. It can grow to be about 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) long and weigh up to 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds). Its body is usually gray or grayish-brown. It often has small white spots on its sides.
This catfish has long fins on its back and belly. It also has several pairs of barbels, which are like whiskers. These barbels help it sense things in the water. Its skin has no scales. Instead, it's covered in mucus. This slimy layer helps protect the fish when it's out of the water.
When you handle this fish, you need to be careful! It has a hidden sting or thorn-like defense. This is found behind its fins. It's a common feature for many types of catfish.
Where Do Walking Catfish Live?
The walking catfish is a tropical fish. It is originally from maritime Southeast Asia. The true Clarias batrachus is only confirmed to be from the island of Java in Indonesia. However, there are three other similar species that are often confused with it. These are found in places like northeast India, Bangladesh, Indochina, and the Thai-Malay Peninsula.
Walking catfish love still water. They often live in muddy ponds, canals, and ditches. They spend most of their time near the bottom. They swim up to the surface now and then to gulp air. This helps them breathe in water that doesn't have much oxygen.
What Do Walking Catfish Eat?
In the wild, the walking catfish eats many different things. It is an omnivore. This means it eats both plants and animals. It feeds on smaller fish, molluscs, and other small creatures. It also eats dead plant and animal matter, and water plants.
This fish eats a lot and very quickly. Because of this, it can be harmful when it becomes an invasive species.
Walking Catfish as an Invasive Species
An invasive species is an animal or plant that is brought to a new place and causes harm. The walking catfish has been moved to many places outside its native home. In these new places, it is considered invasive. It eats the food that native fish need. It also preys on their young. Walking catfish can even destroy fish farms by eating the fish raised there.
In the United States, walking catfish are found in Florida. They have also been seen in other states like California and Georgia. They were first brought to Florida in the 1960s from Thailand. They were meant for fish farms. But some fish escaped from farms or during transport. People also released some on purpose, even after it became illegal.
When walking catfish get into fish farms, they eat the farmed fish. To stop this, farmers have had to build fences around their ponds. Laws have also been made to ban owning walking catfish in some areas.
Walking Catfish as Food
In Indonesia, this fish is called lele. It is a main ingredient in many traditional dishes. Two popular ones are pecel lele and mangut lele.
In Thailand, it is known as pla duk dan. It is a common and cheap food. People prepare it in many ways. You can often find it grilled or fried from street vendors.
In the Philippines, this fish is called hito. It is one of the most common freshwater catfish there.
Walking Catfish in Aquariums
You can sometimes find a white walking catfish with black patterns in pet stores. This is a special color type. However, if walking catfish are banned where you live, this color type is also banned.
If you keep these fish in an aquarium, you should have strong plants and big structures. These give the fish places to hide and some shade. Remember, any small fish in the tank will likely be eaten by a walking catfish!
See also
- Eel catfish
- List of freshwater aquarium fish species
- List of invasive species in the Everglades
- Clarias magur
- Clarias macrocephalus
