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Scientific Name Clarias batrachus  (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Names Common Walking Catfish
Clarias Catfish, Albino Walking Catfish, Piebald Walking Catfish, Vandremalle (Denmark)
Type Locality Java, vicinity of Bandung, Indonesia.
Synonym(s) Clarias punctatus, Silurus batrachus
Pronunciation klar ee ass - bat rah chus
Etymology Clarias: From the Greek chlaros, meaning lively; in reference to the ability of the fish to live for long periods out of water. 
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 470mm or 18.5" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Identification Clarias species are characterized by having an elongated body; a soft rayed dorsal fin extending to, or nearly to, the caudal fin base; a soft rayed anal fin extending from just behind the anus to the caudal fin base; pectoral fins each with a serrated anterior bony spine; head depressed, covered largely by firmly sutured, surface sculptured bony plates forming a protective helmet; four pairs of flagellate barbels (nasals, maxillaries, inner and outer mandibulars); air breathing organs derived from the 2nd and 4th epibranchials within a superbranchial chamber.

Shown above are the mottled or marbled colour variety and also the more commonly available pinky-white form. From time to time you also see the ''original'' brown with white belly wild form.
Sexing Mature males have small spots along the dorsal fin; it is not known if this also applies to the albino colour variant.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution Asia: Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo. Reported from Sri Lanka; popular for aquaculture in its native range but not regarded as such in other Southeast Asian countries. Trade restricted in Germany (Anl.3 BArtSchV). Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Sri Lanka Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indian waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Myanmar Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Thailand Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Bangladesh Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Indonesian Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)
Pacific, Malaysia Waters (click on these areas to find other species found there)

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IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2019.
pH 5.6 - 8.0
Temperature 20.0-26.0°C or 68-78.8°F (Show species within this range)
Other Parameters Unimportant, the fish will prosper in a wide range of PH and water hardness.
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Anything; this fish is totally omnivorous and will gorge itself on most offerings. User data.
Furniture Very well rooted plants and large structures that provide some shade. Appropriately sized clay pipes seem to provide a readily accepted, if less cosmetically pleasing, hideaway for these fish.
Compatibility Keep with large robust fish; anything small enough will be eaten. These should be fast growing or introduced as semi-adults. The walking catfish grows very fast indeed and although purchased at a ''safe'' size for it's co-inhabitants, this ratio will rapidly change to the danger of the smaller fishes.
Suggested Tankmates Large Cyprinids (Silver Sharks, Tinfoil or Spanner Barbs for example) or Central American Cichlids.
Breeding See Shane's World article.
Breeding Reports There is no breeding report.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference Systema Naturae, Ed. X v. 1, pp 305.
Registered Keepers There is no registered keeper.
Wishlists Love this species? Click the heart to add it to your wish list.
There is no wish to keep this species.
Spotters Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars!
There are 5 records of this fish being seen, view them all.
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Last Update 2020 Oct 24 04:48 (species record created: 2001 Apr 25 00:00)