Freshwater catfish, wallago [1] ( lat. Wallago ) is a genus of ray-finned fish of the catfish family (Siluridae). Includes 5 species. Known since the Miocene , when the extinct species Wallago maemohensis lived .
| Freshwater Catfish Wallago |
Freshwater Catfish Wallago ( Wallago attu ) |
| Scientific classification |
|---|
| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Freshwater Catfish Wallago |
|
| International scientific name |
|---|
Wallago Bleeker , 1858 |
|
These are large catfish, the total length varies from 1.5 to 3.5 m. The head is large. The mouth is large, its edges reach almost the eye. The lower jaw is longer than the upper. The body is elongated. In the dorsal fin 4-5 rays. They have large abdominal and anal fin. Anal fin not connected to caudal. The caudal fin is highly bifurcated.
They live in fresh water, found in slow rivers with muddy water, canals and lakes. They prefer the places where the rivers flow into the lakes and the rivers themselves. Spawn aground. After spawning, fish are sent to the flooded areas of the forest for food. Active, voracious predators. They feed on animals from invertebrates to medium-sized fish and birds.
Distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia from Pakistan to Indonesia. One species lives in reservoirs of Afghanistan.
