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Clariidae
walking catfish
Clarias batrachus
Wiggling on land using pectoral fins
The walking catfish (Clarias batrachus) is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish native to Southeast Asia. It is named for its ability to "walk" and wiggle across dry land, to find food or suitable environments. While it does not truly walk as most bipeds or quadrupeds do, it can use its pectoral fins to keep it upright as it makes a wiggling motion with snakelike movements to traverse land.
- Class
- Teleosts
- Order
- Catfishes
- Family
- Clariidae
- Genus
- Clarias
- Maximum length
- 47 cm
- Body shape
- elongated
- Distribution
- Asia: Java, Indonesia. Clarias aff. batrachus from Indochina and Clarias aff. batrachus from Sundaland have been misidentified as Clarias batrachus from Java. Introduced elsewhere. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.
- Conservation status
- LCLeast Concern

