Bighead Catfish
Scientific name Clarias macrocephalus
Adult size
- Weight
- 45 kg
- Length
- 1.2 m
- Body depth
- Not reported for this species
- Top speed swim
- 2 km/h
- Lifespan
- Exact lifespan is not yet confirmed; reproductive maturity can be quick, with females recorded mature at about 6-8 months in culture context.
Southeast Asian lowland freshwater and wetland systems, with Thailand-to-Vietnam distribution and Mekong-basin conservation context.
The range
Three regions, one species.
The bighead catfish doesn't live in one place. Across the map below, each region has its own pressures, prey, and politics — same biology, different worlds.
Southeast Asia
Thailand to Vietnam
Broad Southeast Asian range context.
Source ↗Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam
Mekong River Basin context
Mekong-basin conservation context; not a whole-range abundance claim.
Source ↗Thailand
ponds, grassy pond bottoms and paddy-field nesting sites
Spawning and male egg-guarding behaviour context.
Source ↗
Daily life
What the bighead catfish does, day to day.
Diet, social behaviour, climate — the everyday biology that shapes how this species hunts, defends and survives.
Diet
It feeds on small water creatures such as worms, crustaceans, insects and small fish, and it can also scavenge dead fish.
Social life
Its standout family moment is on the nursery ground: males guard eggs after spawning in grassy pond-bottom depressions.
Climate
Tropical freshwater and wetland edges, especially warm, shallow or muddy water where air-breathing helps.
Wyld Trivia
Five questions. Most people get them wrong.
But you're not most people.
Tap to reveal.
Is Bighead Catfish the same as African Catfish?
Show meHideNo. Bighead Catfish here means Clarias macrocephalus from Southeast Asia. African Catfish and Sampa are different exact species with their own source trails.
Why is it called air-breathing?
Show meHideIt belongs to the air-breathing catfish family, and this biology helps it survive in warm, low-oxygen freshwater where many fish would struggle.
How big can it get?
Show meHideThe best public size context is a maximum of 120 cm total length and 45.0 kg. That is a maximum record, not an average adult.
What does it eat?
Show meHideSmall water animals are on the menu: worms, crustaceans, insects and small fish, plus dead fish it can scavenge.
Does it have a speed stat?
Show meHideNot as a trustworthy number. Its real movement story is stranger: it can breathe air and use extended fins to move when shallow water gets tough.
The terrain
Where the bighead catfish thrives.
Every animal is built for some places more than others. These are the ground, hours and weather where this species shows its best — and its worst.
Ground
- Lowland wetlandExcels
- Freshwater riverExcels
- Floodplain channelExcels
- Rice paddy edgeExcels
- Muddy poolExcels
- PondExcels
- Slow canalExcels
- Brackish edgeStrong
- Clear mountain streamStruggles
- Marine reefAvoids
- Dry open landAvoids
- PolarAvoids
Hours
- DawnStrong
- DayStrong
- DuskStrong
- NightStrong
Weather
- Tropical freshwaterExcels
- Warm wetlandExcels
- Humid lowlandExcels
- Seasonal floodplainExcels
- Subtropical freshwaterStrong
- Cold waterAvoids
- PolarAvoids
Five things you didn't know about the bighead catfish.
Cited biology that shapes how the bighead catfish hunts, fights, survives.
Bighead Catfish is an accepted Clarias species in the air-breathing catfish family. Source ↗
Its range is Southeast Asian, with records from Thailand to Vietnam and important Mekong-basin context. Source ↗
It can use air-breathing biology to cope with warm, muddy water where oxygen can run low. Source ↗
Maximum size context reaches 120 cm total length and 45.0 kg, but those are maximum records, not everyday adults. Source ↗
Males guard eggs after spawning in grassy pond-bottom depressions. Source ↗
About the bighead catfish
Where the bighead catfish sits on the tree of life.
Class
Teleostei
Bony fish — the modern fish group that includes snappers, tuna and many reef hunters.
Order
Siluriformes
A group of related families — Siluriformes.
Family
Clariidae
A family of related species — Clariidae.
Species
Clarias macrocephalus
Bighead Catfish — the species this page is about.
Bighead Catfish
Every fact, cited.
Biology cited on this page comes from peer-reviewed zoology and the major species databases. Click through for the underlying study, dataset or assessment.
- FishBase · fishbase.se
- WoRMS taxon details · marinespecies.org
- GBIF exact species profile · gbif.org
- Clarias macrocephalus redescription · biblio.ugent.be
- FAO Clarias in Thailand · fao.org
- Spawning behaviour paper · pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Genome and conservation paper · nature.com
- Grow-out culture manual · repository.seafdec.org.ph
