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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the walking catfish. These fish get their common name from their ability to "walk" on land. This "walking" behavior may not be the same way a cat might walk, but the fish uses its fins to move around outside of water. Spines in their pectoral fins offer support while they maneuver over terrestrial terrain. As long as a walking catfish stays moist while on land, it can remain out of water. Along with their sturdy fins, walking catfish have lung-like structures that allow them to breathe atmospheric air. For this reason, they can live in oxygen deficient places like stagnant swamps, mud pools, ditches, and flooded grasslands, but they also occur in lakes, rivers, and even coastal estuaries. Walking catfish can handle some levels of salinity, so they can live in brackish water. They generally can’t survive in water below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10°C), but they’ll burrow in mud when the weather is too cold.

These fish are native to Southeast Asia, and they have been introduced to other parts of the world. In their native range, walking catfish are enjoyed. People can sell them live, therefore “fresh”, because of their air breathing ability. In parts of the world where they've been introduced, such as Florida, they're reviled. Walking catfish can quickly take over native fish populations and they've been known to break into fish stocks where they can wipe out an entire brood. Ironically, walking catfish themselves are threatened by introduced catfish in their native range!

It's unknown how long these fish can live, though similar species are known to live more than ten years in the wild. They reach reproductive maturity at a year old. In their native range, walking catfish breed during the wet season from June to August. They will migrate over land to emephermal breeding sites like large grassy areas that are filled in with water throughout part of the year. Males and females are approximately the same size from 9 to 19 inches (24 to 47cm) in length, but females have larger bellies to accommodate their eggs and males may have spots on their dorsal fins. They are monogamous during the breeding season. A pair will find a divet or cave in which to lay their eggs. The two will form an embrace while mating and go through cycles of releasing and fertilizing eggs. The process can take nearly a day to complete! The eggs are bright orange and there may be up to 9,000 in a clutch. These are guarded by the male. They take about a day to hatch and three days to reach independence. At this point they have tiny barbels that can be seen with the naked eye.

Like other catfish, walking catfish use their barbels to sense their environment. These fish spend most of their time at the bottom of their habitat. They are generalists because they'll eat just about anything they come across. From fish to fish eggs as well as insects, crustaceans, worms, and more, walking catfish eat it all. Their young eat plankton and advance to larger foods as they get older. Predators to walking catfish include otters, birds like eagles and herons, crocodiles, other fish like loaches and more.

For more facts on the walking catfish, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to these viewers for today’s request! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!