Wallago attu: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Taxobox | color = pink

{{self-contradictory|date=May 2023}}

| name = Wallago

{{Speciesbox

| image = Wallago_attu_046.JPG

| binomialimage = ''Wallago attu'' 1.jpg

| image_width = 250px

| image_caption =

| regnumstatus = [[Animal]]iaVU

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]

| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Ng, H.H. |author2=de Alwis Goonatilake, S. |author3=Fernado, M. |author4=Kotagama, O. |date=2019 |title=''Wallago attu'' |volume=2019 |page=e.T166468A174784999 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T166468A174784999.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>

| classis = [[Actinopterygii]]

| nametaxon = Wallago attu

| ordo = [[Siluriformes]]

| authority = [[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]] & [[Johann Gottlob Schneider|Schneider]], 1801

| familia = [[Siluridae]]

| synonyms = ''Silurus boalis'' <small>Hamilton, 1822</small><br />

| genus = ''[[Wallago]]''

''Silurus wallagoo'' <small>[[Achille Valenciennes|Valenciennes]], 1840</small><br />

| species = ''W. attu''

''Silurus muelleri'' <small>[[Pieter Bleeker|Bleeker]], 1846</small><br />

| binomial = ''Wallago attu''

''Wallago russellii'' <small>Bleeker, 1853</small>

| binomial_authority = Bloch & Schneider, 1801

}}

'''''Wallago attu''''', '''boal''', or '''helicopter catfish''', is a species of [[freshwater]] catfish of the family [[Siluridae]], native to [[South Asia|South]] and [[Southeast Asia]]. ''W. attu'' is found in large rivers and lakes in two geographically disconnected regions ([[disjunct distribution]]), with one population living over much of the [[Indian Subcontinent]] and the other in parts of [[Southeast Asia]]. This species can reach a length up to {{cvt|1.1|m}}.<ref name=Roberts2014>Roberts, T.R. (2014): ''Wallago'' Bleeker, 1851 and ''Wallagonia'' Myers, 1938 (Ostariophysi, Siluridae), Distinct Genera of Tropical Asian Catfishes, with Description of †''Wallago maemohensis'' from the Miocene of Thailand. ''Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 55 (1): 35-47.''</ref>

'''''Wallago attu''''' is a species of catfish in the family [[Siluridae]], or "sheatfishes". The fish is commonly known by its genus name, '''[[wallago]]'''. Found in large rivers and lakes, it can reach 2.4 [[metre|m]] (8 [[foot (length)|feet]]) total length. This south [[Asia]]n fish is found from [[Pakistan]] to [[Vietnam]] and [[Indonesia]], and is also reported from [[Afghanistan]].

[[Image:WallagoAttuDay.jpg|thumb|left]]

It shares parts of its native range with the externally similar, but much larger ''[[Wallagonia leerii]]'', and is subsequently often confused for it. It can, however, be differentiated by its relatively long and narrower head, as well as its dorsal fin, which is high and sharp, opposed to that of ''W. leerii'', which is lower and rounded. Additionally, the eyes of ''W. attu'' lie above the mouth of the fish, whilst they lie on the same level as the mouth in ''W. leerii''.

In [[Malaysia]], the wallago is known as "Ikan Tapah," and this name is the origin of the name of a Malaysian town, [[Tapah]].

This catfish is one of the fish species that has been used as food in Southeast Asia since ancient times.<ref>Charles Higham, A. Kijnga ed. ''The Origins of the Civilization of Angkor: Volume VI The Iron Age.'' page 43. IV 'The Fish Remains'</ref> In Thailand, its meat is popularly used to make ''thot man'' (ทอดมัน, "Thai [[Fish cake#Asia|fish cake]]s"), similar to [[clown featherback]] (''Chitala ornata'').<ref>{{cite web|language=thai|date=2024-10-31|accessdate=2024-10-31|url=https://www.facebook.com/Thinkingradio/videos/1086974916718118?locale=th_TH|work=Facebook|title=รายการ #คุยได้คุยดี #TalkNewsAndMusics #ThinkingRadio #FM965 #วีระธีรภัทร #ณัฐพงษ์ธีระภัทรานนท์|author=FM96.5}}</ref>

==Confusion with other catfishes==

[[File:Wallago attu.jpg|thumb|Wallago attu From Kerala, India]]

In many areas, ''Wallago attu'' is found alongside the externally similar and related catfish species ''[[Wallagonia leerii]]''. In Indonesia and Malaysia, both species are referred to as ''ikan tapah'', and in English, both are sometimes called ''helicopter catfish''. Popular accounts such as media reports, claims by fishermen, or local folklore stories, and even scientific publications, often confuse the two or are altogether unaware of the difference. Therefore, claims exist that ''Wallago attu'' reaches lengths of more than {{convert|1.8|m|abbr=on}} and weights of more than {{convert|45|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.tankterrors.com/sareng-catfish-aka-wallago-attu/ ''Sareng catfish aka Wallago Attu – Profile & Photos''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818044817/http://www.tankterrors.com/sareng-catfish-aka-wallago-attu/ |date=2016-08-18 }}, ''Tankterrors.com''. Retrieved on 03 July 2016.</ref> Biologists, however, are firm that it does not grow beyond a length of roughly {{convert|1|m|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Roberts2014/> The current rod-and-reel angling record for a ''Wallago attu'' caught in the wild and authenticated by the [[International Game Fish Association]] is a specimen of {{convert|18|kg|abbr=on}} from the [[Vajiralongkorn Dam|Vajiralongkorn dam reservoir]] in Thailand, while some specialized recreational catch-and-release breeding ponds in the region claim to harbour specimens in the {{convert|20-30|kg|abbr=on}} range.<ref>[http://wrec.igfa.org/WRecordsList.aspx?lc=AllTackle&cn=Wallago "IGFA Online World Record Search, Wallago attu"], ''[[International Game Fish Association]]''. Retrieved on 03 July 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.palmtreelagoon.co.uk/our_igfa_world_records.html "Current, Pending, and Catches Above the Current IGFA All Tackle World Records in Order of Size"], ''Palm Tree Lagoon Fishing Park & Restaurant''. Retrieved on 03 July 2016.</ref> It is thus assumed that reports about specimens even larger than that actually refer to ''Wallagonia leerii'', which can grow to twice the length and several times the weight of ''Wallago attu''.

==Distribution==

[[File:Wallago attu (Boal).jpg|thumb|Wallago attu (Boal) from Kolkata, India]]

''Wallago attu'' lives through large parts of [[South Asia|South]] and [[Southeast Asia]]. Its range, however, seems discontiguous with a significant gap between the population inhabiting the Indian subcontinent and the one found across mainland and insular Southeast Asia. ''W. attu'' thus stands as an example for a species with a [[disjunct distribution]].<ref name=Roberts2014/>

On the [[Indian subcontinent]], its range includes all the major rivers of India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, such as the [[Ganges]], [[Indus River|Indus]], [[Narmada River|Narmada]], [[Godavari River|Godavari]], [[Krishna River|Krishna]] and [[Mahanadi]] as well as the island of Sri Lanka. To the Northwest, its range extends beyond Pakistan into Iran and Afghanistan. To the East, it can be found as far as the [[Irrawaddy River|Irrawaddy river]] basin in Myanmar.<ref name=Roberts2014/><ref name=Babare>Babare R. S., Chavan S.P., Kannewad P. M. (2013): Gut Content Analysis of ''Wallago attu'' and ''Mystus (Sperata) seenghala'', the common Catfishes from Godavari River System in Maharastra State. ''Advances in Bioresearch'', 4 (2): pg. 123-128.</ref><ref>Singh Tarun Kumar, Guru Bhikari Charan, Swain Saroj Kumar (2013): Review of the Research on the Fish Diversity in the River Mahanadi and Identifying the Probable Potential Ornamental Fishes among them with reference to Threats and Conservation Measures. '' Research Journal of Animal, Veterinary and Fishery Sciences'', 1 (3), pg. 16-24.</ref><ref>Suresh M. Kumbar, Swapnali B. Lad (2014): [http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/1553/2848 Diversity, threats and conservation of catfish fauna of the Krishna River, Sangli District, Maharashtra, India]. ''Journal of Threatened Taxa'', 6 (1).</ref><ref>K. Sankaran Unni (1996): ''Ecology of River Narmada''. New Delhi: S.B. Nangia, pg. 289.</ref><ref>Brian W. Coad (2015): Native fish biodiversity in Afghanistan. ''Iranian Journal of Ichthyology'', 2 (4), pg. 227-234.</ref>

The second population occurs in Southeast Asia and encompasses Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. Here it inhabits the [[Mae Klong]], [[Chao Phraya River|Chao Phraya]] and [[Mekong]] drainages, as well as those of the [[Malayan peninsula]] and the islands of [[Java]] and [[Sumatra]]. It is absent from [[Borneo]], which ichthyologist [[Tyson R. Roberts]] considers "surprising".<ref name=Roberts2014/>

The gap between the two populations is largely formed by the [[Salween River|Salween]] and [[Great Tenasserim River|Tenasserim River]] drainages in Burma, where ''W. attu'' is not found. The reasons for this disjunct distribution are unknown.<ref name=Roberts2014/>

==Biology and ecology==

[[File: Wallago attu (1).jpg|thumb|left|Younger individual resting upon a corrugated piece of paper]]

As a large, predatory fish, ''W. attu'' maintains a largely [[Piscivore|piscivorous]] diet. Gut content analysis performed on specimens from the Godavari river in India shows that about 90 to 95% of the consumed food consisted of animal matter. Among the prey fishes most commonly found in the stomachs of Godavari river ''W. attu'' are [[Finescale razorbelly minnow|razorbelly minnows]] (''Salmophasia phulo''), [[ticto barb]]s (''Pethia ticto'') and [[Elongate glassy perchlet|perchlets]] (''Chanda nama''), all of which are small species that reach maximum lengths of about {{convert|10-12|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref name=Babare/>

==Possible species splitting==

{{Main|Wallagonia}}

The vast and disjunct distribution of ''W. attu'' has led to the assumption that it might in fact not be a single species. A preliminary bone-by-bone comparison of ''W. attu'' specimens from Southeast Asia and South Asia showed significant differences in their skeletal structure. It is thus assumed that pending further research ''W. attu'' may possibly be split into two or more species within the genus ''Wallago'' in the future.<ref name=Roberts2014/>

==Cultural references==

According to Malaysian folklore, the descendant of a person called Tok Kaduk cannot eat and touch the fish because the legend says that a long time ago, Tok Kaduk caught this ''tapah''. When he cut open its stomach, there was gold inside the fish so Tok Kaduk took the gold, stitched up the fish, and released it back into the river. From that time, if the descendant came in touch with the fish, their skin would become red and itchy until they went to Kg Tua, Lambor Kanan near Bota in [[Perak Tengah District]] of [[Perak]], Malaysia to find the medicine. The medicine is the remaining gold from the fish, which has been kept to make the cure for the disease. Some say that the gold needs to be soaked in water and consumed by the patient as well as washing the areas that itch. Other stories have told that fish will devour the carcass of humans that have been buried in the water, and it will take the human's soul to the gods.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170802075608/http://suaraperak.com/tidak-boleh-makan-ikan-tapah-bukan-sekadar-mitos/ Article title]}} (in malay)</ref>

The Malaysian town of [[Tapah]] and different [[Tropical Storm Tapah|tropical storms named Tapah]] have been named after this fish (or the identically named ''[[Wallagonia leerii]]'').

==See also==

* ''[[Wallagonia leerii]]''

==References==

{{Reflist}}

* {{FishBase species|genus=Wallago|species=attu|year=2006|month=March}}

* {{ITIS|ID=164079|taxon=Wallago attu|year=2006|date=6 June}}

==External links==

{{catfish-stub}}

{{Commons|Wallago attu}}

{{Wikispecies|Wallago attu}}

* {{FishBase species|genus= Wallago |species= attu|year month =2006 February |month year =March 2012}}

* {{ITIS |IDid=164079 |taxon=Wallago attu |year=2006|access-date=6 June 2006}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1340556}}

[[Category:Siluridae]]

[[Category:Siluridae]]

[[th:เค้าขาว]]

[[Category:Fish described in 1801]]

[[Category:Fish of the Mekong Basin]]

[[Category:Fish of Afghanistan]]

[[Category:Fish of Bangladesh]]

[[Category:Fish of Myanmar]]

[[Category:Fish of Cambodia]]

[[Category:Fish of India]]

[[Category:Freshwater fish of Indonesia]]

[[Category:Fish of Laos]]

[[Category:Freshwater fish of Malaysia]]

[[Category:Fish of Nepal]]

[[Category:Freshwater fish of Sri Lanka]]

[[Category:Fish of Thailand]]

[[Category:Fish of Vietnam]]

[[Category:Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch]]

[[Category:Taxa named by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider]]