Scientific Name
Wallago attu

Common Name
Wallago

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 (Ref. 4792). Mandibular barbel longer than pelvic fin; 24-30 gill rakers on the first arch (Ref. 12693). Eye in front of vertical through corner of mouth (Ref. 43281).

Classification

Classified By

Bloch & Schneider, 1801

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Catfish (Siluriformes)

Family

Sheatfishes (Siluridae)

Distribution

Region

Asia

Distribution

Asia: Pakistan to Viet Nam and Indonesia. Reported from Afghanistan (Ref. 39701). Lower risk - near threatened status in Western Ghats, India (Ref. 44149).

Range

38°N - 10°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

22 °C

Water Temperature To

25 °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 37770)

Trophic Level

3.68 s.e. 0.56 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

240 cm

Common Length

75.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5312 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (41 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Fec = 66,070)

Threat To Humans

Traumatogenic

IUCN Red List Status

Near Threatened (NT)