Wallago (Wallago attu)

Scientific name: Wallago attu Bloch & Schneider, 1801

Wallago (Wallago attu)

The Wallago (Wallago attu) is a freshwater fish of the family Siluridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–25°C (72–77°F). Native range: Asia, Pakistan to Viet Nam and Indonesia. Reported from Afghanistan. Lower risk - near threatened status in Western Ghats, India.

Wallago care at a glance

Temperature
22–25°C (72–77°F)

Biology

Dorsal soft rays (total): 5; Anal soft rays: 77 - 97. Head broad, snout depressed. Body elongate, strongly compressed. Mouth very deeply cleft, its corner reaching far behind eyes. Teeth in jaws set in wide bands; vomerine teeth in two small patches. Barbels two pairs; maxillary barbels extending to anterior margin posterior of anal fin, mandibulary barbels to angle of mouth. Eyes small, with a free orbital margin. Dorsal fin small, anal fin very long. Mandibular barbel longer than pelvic fin; 24-30 gill rakers on the first arch. Eye in front of vertical through corner of mouth.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Wallago attu
Family
Siluridae (Sheatfishes)
Order
Siluriformes (Catfish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
240
Common length
75.0
Environment
Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: Pakistan to Viet Nam and Indonesia. Reported from Afghanistan. Lower risk - near threatened status in Western Ghats, India.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Near Threatened (NT)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec = 66,070)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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