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Allan James (4) Jean-Francois Helias (2) Hiko Roadmantic (1) Liam Irons-Mclean (1)

The diferences between Wallago and Wallagonia are complex and are due to the different bone structures. Wallagonia was placed by Myers (1948) and nearly all subsequent authors as a junior synonym of Wallago, but it is was later recognised as a distinct genus by Roberts, T. R. 2014. Description: 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. Habitat: 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. Reproduction: Oviparous, distinct pairing possibly like other members of the same family. Aquarium Care: Only juveniles can be kept in aquaria and fed on tablet food, beef heart and similar foods. Adult fish are not deemed suitable for aquarium keeping due to the size, verocity and its feeding needs for living fish. Diet: Being a carnivore the diet consists of fish, shrimps and other living organisms. Remarks: Cited in Fishbase as Wallago but in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes it is placed in the current status of Wallagonia leerii (Bleeker 1851) (2018).

Helicopter catfish

Wallago leerii, Wallagonia miostoma, Wallago nebulosus, Ompok nebulosus, Wallago miostoma, Wallagonia tweediei, Wallago tweediei.

Siluridae

Asia: Thailand to Indonesia.

180.0cm. (6ft)

20-25°C (67-77°F)

5.5-7.0.

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2008. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (11/2008).
Roberts, T. R. 2014 (Apr.) Wallago Bleeker, 1851 and Wallagonia Myers, 1938 (Ostariophysi, Siluridae), distinct genera of tropical Asian catfishes, with description of [fossil] Walloago maemohensis from the Miocene of Thailand. BioOne v. 55 (no. 1): 35-47. [Originally as Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 55 (1):35-47.]