Airbreathing catfish comprise the family Clariidae of the order Siluriformes. Sixteen genera and about 117 species of clariid fishes are described; all are freshwater species. Other groups of catfish also breathe air, such as the Callichthyidae and Loricariidae.
The walking catfish is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish native to Southeast Asia. It is named for its ability to "walk" and wiggle across dry land, to find food or suitable environments. While it does not truly walk as most bipeds or quadrupeds do, it can use its pectoral fins to keep it upright as it makes a wiggling motion with snakelike movements to traverse land. This fish normally lives in slow-moving and often stagnant waters in ponds, swamps, streams, and rivers, as well as in flooded rice paddies, or temporary pools that may dry up. When this happens, its "walking" skill allows the fish to move to other aquatic environments. Considerable taxonomic confusion surrounds this species and it has frequently been confused with other close relatives. One main distinction between the walking catfish and the native North American ictalurid catfish with which it sometimes is confused, is that the walking catfish lacks an adipose fin. It can survive 18 hours out of water.
Clarias is a genus of catfishes of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek chlaros, which means lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water.
The cave catfish is a critically endangered species of airbreathing catfish. This cavefish is only known to live in the Aigamas cave, Otjozondjupa region, Namibia. It has also been reported from the nearby Dragon's Breath Cave. The golden cave catfish lack pigmentation and are up to 16.1 cm in standard length. They have very small eyes that are covered with skin, and are probably effectively blind. They feed on detritus and invertebrates that fall into the lake in which they live. The population is estimated at 200–400 individuals. Little is known about its reproduction, and attempts to breed it in captivity have failed. The population is threatened by chance events and water extraction from the cave lake, which has resulted in a drop of the water level.
Clarias nieuhofii, the slender walking catfish, is a species of clariid catfish. It has a wide distribution in Southeast Asia including southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, parts of the Greater Sunda Islands, and the Philippines.
Chaca is the only genus in the catfish family Chacidae. These fish are commonly known as squarehead catfishes, frogmouth catfishes, or angler catfishes. These unusual fish have a sedentary lifestyle and spend much of their time motionless.
Clarias batu is a species of clariid catfish. It is only known from Tioman Island off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The eel-like catfish found on this island were originally identified as the widespread species Clarias nieuhofii but comparison of a large series of specimens from Tioman with a series of C. nieuhofii from the mainland revealed consistent and distinctive differences indicating a separate species.
Acrochordonichthys is a genus of catfishes of the family Akysidae. It includes ten species.
Werner's catfish is a species of airbreathing catfish. It is found in Burundi and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater lakes. It is threatened by habitat loss. This species reaches a length of 23.0 cm SL.
The broadhead catfish is an economically important air-breathing catfish that is a native of Southeast Asia. The fish is farmed in ponds for use in human consumption in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines. However, native populations now face extinction due to man-made activities and genetic introgression due to interbreeding with escaped aquaculture hybrids.
Clarias gariepinus or African sharptooth catfish is a species of catfish of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes.
Clarias kapuasensis is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It has been described from the upper part of the River Kapuas
Clarias peudoleiacanthus is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It has been described from the southern lower parts of the River Kapuas (Western Kalimantan and coastal areas near the Barito River in southern Kalimantan, Indonesia
Clarias intermedius is a species of clariid catfish from Indonesian Borneo. It has been described from Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, between the Sampit and Barito rivers.
Clarias pseudonieuhofii is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It has been currently described from the upper basin of the Kapuas River in West Kalimantan, in a geographic area bordering Sentarum Lake. It has been differed from C. nieuhofii by comparing the holotypes and paratypes from specimens of C. nieuhofii from Sumatra.
Clarias anfractus is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It is known from the Segama and Kalabakan drainages in Sabah, Northeastern Borneo.
Clarias planiceps is a species of clariid catfish from Borneo. It is known from tributaries all over Sarawak, and possibly up to Kapuas Hulu Regency.
Clarias microspilus is a species of clariid catfish from Sumatra. It is known from short coastal rivers that drain the western face of the Leuser Mountain Range, in Aceh Province
Clarias insolitus is a catfish within the genus Clarias, found in the upper drainage of the Barito River, in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo.
