WALLAGO ATTU

WALLAGO ATTU

WALLAGO ATTU

Contents hide
1) WALLAGO ATTU
1.1) CLASSIFICATION OF WALLAGO ATTU
1.2) GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
1.3) HABIT AND HABITAT
1.4) GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF WALLAGO ATTU
1.5) ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
1.6) SPECIAL FEATURES
1.7) IDENTIFICATION
1.8) REFERENCES

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.

WALLAGO ATTU

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.

WALLAGO ATTU
WALLAGO ATTU

REFERENCES

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