Clariasbatrachus

WalkingCatfish

Classification
Clariidae

Distribution
KnwonfromIndia,Nepal,Bangladesh,SriLanka,Pakistan,Thailand,Vietnam,Laos,Cambodia,Myanmar,
Singapore,MalaysiaandIndonesia.Ithasalsobeenintroducedinseveralcountries,includingtheUSA.

Habitat
Inhabitsriversystems,swamps,pools,ricepaddies,canalsandditches.Itsoftenfoundinstagnantwaters
leftoveraftertherivershavebeeninflood,asitsmigratoryduringthewetseason,movingintofloodedareas
fromthemainwaterbodies.

MaximumStandardLength
40(100cm).Howeverthisisrarelyachievedincaptivity,with1824(4560cm)beingconsideredagood
size.

AquariumSize

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84x48x36(210cmx120cmx90cm)2300litresforafullygrownadultspecimen.Juvenilescanbe
grownoninsmallertanks.

Maintenance
Floorspaceismoreimportantthandepthwiththisspecies.Asoftsubstratewithpiecesofdriftwood,
smoothrocks,lengthsofplasticpipingetc.arrangedtoformhidingplacesisideal.Plantsarenotessential.
Theaquariumshouldhaveaverytightfittingcover,asitsanexcellentescapeartist.

WaterConditions
Temperature:6878F(2026C)
pH:5.58.0
Hardness:225H

Diet
Agreedyandomnivorousspeciesthatwilleatalmostanythingoffered.Avariedmixtureofdriedpellets,
meatyfrozenfoodsandvegetablematterisrecommended.Adultspecimensdonotneedtobefedeveryday.
Takecarewhenfeedingasthisisonefishthatjustdoesntknowwhentostopeating!

BehaviourandCompatibility

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C.batrachusishighlypredatoryandwilleatanyfishitcanfitintoitslargemouth.Itcanbekeptwith
othersimilarlysized,robustspecies,suchaslargebarbs,Loricariidsandcichlids.Anytankmatesmustbeable
totakegoodcareofthemselvesandshouldbeintroducedatalargersizethantheClarias,asthegrowthrate
ofyoungfishisphenomenal.Definitelynotafishforthegeneralcommunity.

SexualDimorphism
Inthewildform,malefishshowspottinginthedorsalfin.Thisdistinctioncannotbemadefor
theaquariumvarieties,butsexingcanbedeterminedbyexaminingthegenitalpapillaeofthefish.Thisis
elongateandpointedinthemale,andshorterandbluntedinthefemale.Femalefisharealsomuchmore
roundedinthebellythanmales.

Reproduction
Hasbeenachievedinhugenumbersonfishfarmsthroughouttheworld,butoccurslessofteninaquaria.Itis
possibleinasuitablysizedaquarium,though.Thefishappeartobesexuallymaturefromaround12
(30cm)insize.Itmaybewisetobeginwithasmallgroupofyoungfishinordertoobtainapair,unlessa
sexedpairisavailable.OnceapairformstheybecometerritorialandtheotherClariasandanyother

tankmatesshouldberemoved.Waterchemistryandtemperatureisnotcritical,butshouldbewithinthe
boundariessuggestedabove.
Priortospawningbodycontactbetweenthepairincreasesandtheycanbeobservedswimmingsideby
side.Innaturethefishspawnincavesdugintothebanksofrivers,butifnosuchcaveisavailablein
theaquariumtheywilldigapitinthesubstrateanddeposittheeggsintothis.Theeventitselfcanlastas
longas20hours,withthepaircomingtogethermanytimesabovethespawningsite.Manyeggsarelaid
(severalthousandmaybeproducedbylargepairs)andthesesinkimmediately,adheringto
thesubstratewheretheyfall.
Followingspawning,thefemaleretreatsandthemaleassumesprotectionofthebrood,swimmingtirelessly
abovethenestinanticipationofpotentialpredators.Itmayalsobethatthecurrentsproducedbyhis
unceasingmovementsassistinthedevelopmentoftheeggs.Theeggshatchin2436hours,atwhichpoint
thefemaleagainbeginstoassistinbroodcare,assumingresponsibilityforguardingtheperimetersof
theterritory.Themaleremainsatthenest.Afteraroundanother48hours,theadultsbegintoloseinterestin
thefry.72hoursafterthis,theyoungbecomefreeswimming.Atthispoint,itiswisetoremovethefrywith
theaidofasyphon,ifyouintendraisingtheminanygreatnumbers.Theycanbefedbrine
shrimpnaupliiinitially,butgrowrapidlyandaresoonlargeenoughtotakebiggerfoods.

Notes

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Anincrediblyhardyspecies,thewalkingcatfishistolerantofaverywiderangeofwaterchemistryand
temperature.Itcanalsosurviveinoxygendepletedconditionsduetoitsabilitytobreatheatmosphericair.In
fact,itisthoughtthatthefishcanliterallydrownifdeprivedaccesstothewatersurfaceforlongenough.
Thecommonnameisderivedfromitsnaturalabilitytomoveacrosslandusingitsstiffpectoralspines,
provideditstaysdamp.Ithasspecialmucousproducingporesonitsbodytohelpinthis,anditcansealits
gillstopreventlossofmoisture.Thegillsthemselvesarestiffenedinordertopreventthemcollapsingoutside
thewater.Thisiswhyatightlyfittingcoverisabsolutelyessentialonanyaquariumcontainingawalkingcat,
asitsquitewillingtoleavetheaquariumforawanderiftheopportunityarises.
Itsanimportantfoodfishinitsnativelands,andhasbeenintroducedtoseveralothercountriesforfarming
purposes.Itisnowconsideredapestspeciesinsomeofthesecountries,followingescapesandsubsequent
establishmentofwildpopulations,mostnotablyintheSouthernUS.Itshardyandrobustnaturemeansitcan
outcompetemanynaturallyoccuringspeciesandpredateonothers.
Mostspecimensseeninthetradearealbinoorleucisticaquariumvariants,ofwhichthemarbledvarietyis
particularlypopular.Thewildfishisbrownwithawhitebelly,andisencounteredlessofteninthehobby.

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