Walking Catfish - Characteristics and Anatomy

Characteristics and Anatomy

Walking catfish are around 30 cm (approx. one foot) in length and have an elongated body shape. Often covered laterally in small white spots, the body is mainly coloured a gray or grayish brown. This catfish has long-based dorsal and anal fins as well as several pairs of sensory barbels. The skin is scaleless but covered with mucus, which protects the fish when it is out of water.

One main distinction between the walking catfish and native North American Ictalurid catfish is the walking catfish's lack of an adipose fin.

This fish needs to be handled carefully when fishing it out due to its hidden embedded sting or thorn-like defensive mechanism hidden behind its fins (including the middle ones before the tail fin, just like the majority of all catfish).