Wallago leerii  Bleeker, 1851
Image contributors to this species:
Allan James (3) Jean-Francois Helias (1) Hiko Roadmantic (1)
ScotCat Sources:
Other Sources:
Relevant Information:	Dorsal spines (total): 1 - 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 4 - 4; Anal soft rays: 61 – 75. Mouth reaching only to anterior margin of eye; mandibular barbel shorter than pelvic fin. Adults inhabit large streams and rivers and enter flooded forest. Fry occur at the mouth of small streams connected to larger rivers, where the bottom is muddy and with overhanging vegetation. They spawn in the river where there are sandy beds. The spawners go in pairs and deposit eggs on the sand and they guard the eggs until they hatch. A nocturnal predator on fishes and prawns. Oviparous, distinct pairing possibly like other members of the same family. In the Mekong, this species migrates into smaller streams to spawn. Fishermen along Kapuas observed that it used to form large migratory schools in Kapuas mainstream but such schools had become less noticeable, and this was attributed to intensive gill netting. Usually consumed fresh or processed as salted fish. Being a carnivore the diet consists of fish, shrimps and other living organisms.
Common Name:	Helicopter catfish
Synonyms:	Wallagonia leerii, Wallagonia miostoma,Wallago nebulosus, Ompok nebulosus, Wallago miostoma, Wallagonia tweediei, Wallago tweediei
Family:	Siluridaeycipitidae
Distribution:	Asia: Thailand to Indonesia
Size:	180cm. (6ft)
Temp:	20-25°C (67-77°F)
p.H.	5.5-7.0.
Reference:	Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2008.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (11/2008).