CLASSIFICATION OF WALLAGO ATTU
Phylum :- CHORDATA ( Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).
Group :- CRANIATA ( Cranium with brain present ).
Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present ).
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present ).
Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)
Class :- OSTEICHTHYES ( Bony fishes ).
SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII ( Ray finned fish ).
SUPER ORDER :- TELEOISTEI ( Bony fish proper).
Order :- CYPRINIFORMES ( Anterior vertebrae fused. Webrian ossicles present between air bladder and ear).
GENUS :- Wallago
SPECIES :- attu
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Wallago attu is distributed throughout India.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Wallago attu is found in temperate and tropical fresh waters, inhabiting deep flowing waters of rivers and tanks in hilly and low country regions. It is predacious and feeds on young carps.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF WALLAGO ATTU
- Commonly called as cat-fish or Lachi.
- Colour of the body varies. Dorsally it is greyish brown, head is purplish and belly whitish.
- Body is divided into head, trunk and tail. Head is very large, trunk small and tail long and tapering. Jaws provided with villiform teeth.
- Clefts of the mouth extend behind the orbits.
- Head contains nostrils, 2 long maxillary and 2 smaller mandibular sensory barbels.
- Eyes are found above the level of the mouth and not covered with skin.
- Weberian ossicles are present. Gill membranes free.
- Dorsal fin is small like pectorals. It has fewer than seven rays and is not preceded by a spine. Adipose fin absent. Pectoral fin finely serrated. Anal fin large and extends upto caudal fin but not confluent with caudal fin. Caudal fin forked. Anal fin very much elongated and contains about 90 anal rays. Ventral fins small.
- Scales are absent and body is covered with naked skin. Profile of the back oblique.
- Wallago attu is found alongside the externally similar and related catfish species Wallagonia leerii.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
WALLAGO ATTU has great food value, fonning common man’s food. The flesh is very delicious.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Mouth does not contain teeth. Teeth are found in pharynx only.
IDENTIFICATION
Since this fish has smooth skin, small dorsal fin and above features, hence it is Wallago attu.
REFERENCES
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallago_attu
- https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Wallago-attu.html
- Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
- https://www.goo gle.com/url? sa=i&url=https% 3A%2F%2Fwww.f ishbase.se%2FFie l dGuide%2FField GuideSummary.p hp%3Fgenusnam e%3DWallago%2 6speciesname%3 Dattu%26c_code %3D524&psig=A O vVaw06hjw1pSr Gu- vUE9zHoNBH&u st=160290781707 1000&source=im ages&cd=vfe&ved =2ahUKEwjc8M- Jn7jsAhVxM7cA Hb6qCZMQr4kD e gUIARDiAQSOU RCES OF I MAGES –
- https://www.goo gle.com/url? sa=i&url=https% 3 A%2F%2Fwww.i n aturalist.org%2F guide_taxa%2F96 2758&psig=AOvV aw06hjw1pSrGu- vUE9zHoNBH&u st=160290781707 1000&source=im a ges&cd=vfe&ved =2ahUKE wjc8M- Jn7jsAhVx M7cAHb6q CZMQr4 kDegUIA RDXAQ
