Wallago attu
| Wallago | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Teleostomi |
| Order: | Siluriformes |
| Family: | Siluridae |
| Genus: | Wallago |
| Species: | W. attu |
| Binomial name | |
| Wallago attu Bloch & Schneider, 1801 |
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Wallago attu (Thai: ปลาเค้าขาว) is a species of catfish in the family Siluridae, or "sheatfishes". The fish is commonly known by its genus name, wallago. Found in large rivers and lakes, it can reach 2.4 m (8 feet) total length. This south Asian fish is found from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan to Vietnam and Indonesia, and is also reported from Afghanistan.
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[edit] The name
In Indonesia and Malaysia, the wallago is known as "Ikan Tapah," and this name is the origin of the name of a Malaysian town, Tapah. It is also known as Wallagonia attu, Boal Fish etc. In Bengal and Assam, it is known as Boal and Borali,Attu walah, in Manipur it is commonly known by its local name "Sareng" or Valah in Malayalam respectively.
[edit] Aggressiveness
Its common to find huge frogs and fishes inside its stomach, when cut for cooking. It has been claimed that in some areas of Thailand the natives fear the species because of its believed habit of eating small ducks, dogs, and small children. It is thought the Tapah became this aggressive due to natives laying to rest their dead in the water. The catfish would then see this as a ready supply of food.[1]
[edit] Spawning
Just like salmon this fish do their annual upstream journey to lay their eggs during the monsoon season before returning to the deeper part of the river for the rest of the year. This is the time they fall prey to the local fishermen who set a special fish net across river to trap the homecoming school. It was a common story amongst local Iban native of Sarawak where they speared several fishes weighing more than 50 kg each.
[edit] Curse
Following to some folklore in Malaysia, The decendent of person called Tok Kaduk is cannot eat and touch the fish because the lagends says long time ago Tok Kaduk caught this Tapah and when he cut open it's stomach, there are gold inside the fish stomach so Tok Kaduk take the gold and stitch back the fish and release it back in to the river. From that time if the decendent came in touch with the fish their skin will become red and itching until they go to Lambo near Bota in middle District of Perak, Malaysia to find the medicine. The medicine is remaining gold from the fish that been kept to make the medicine for this disease. Some says the gold need to be soaked inside water and need to drink by the patient and wash the area that itching and red.
[edit] See also
- Tropical Storm Tapah (disambiguation) - Tropical Cyclones named for the Tapah.
[edit] References
- ^ Magallanes, Frank. "Wallago Attu, Man Eating Catfish". http://opefe.com/wallago.html. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
[edit] External links
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Wallago attu" in FishBase. March 2006 version.
- "Wallago attu". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=164079. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
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