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  3. Clarias batrachus

Clarias batrachus

Basic information
Scientific name Clarias batrachus (No picture)
Common names walking catfish
Higher taxon Clariidae, Siluriformes, Actinopterygii
Natural range SE Asia, India.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, rice fields, swamps, channels, gentle stream in rivers, etc.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Okinawajima Island. Range in Japan
Origin Unknown.
Date 2000s in Okinawajima Island.
Route Deliberate: distributed as pet animal.
Impact Predation and competition against native species. In SE Asia and S USA, fishes, crustaceans, and amphibians were reduced. There were also impacts on fishery products.
Native organism(s) affected: Fishes, amphibians, crutaceans, and fishery species.
Regulation in Japan 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species.
Introduced range in other countries Established in Papua New Guinea, USA (mainland, Guam), Sulawesi, Philippines, Taiwan. Introduced to but not established in UK, Hong Kong, continental China.
Reference Notes
  • DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki, Tokyo. (in Jpn)
  • Froese & Pauly (eds) (2009) FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org/
  • Global Invasive Species Database http://www.issg.org/database
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha. (in Jpn)
 100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species