Range Expansion and Environmental Impress of the Introduced Walking Catfish in the United States

Abstract

The Walking Catfish (Clarias batrachus), accidentally introduced into southeastern Florida in the mid-1960s, is currently distributed over more than 8,750 square km in ten counties of that State. The range of this exotic can reasonably be expected to extend over still further counties within the next few years. The present threat to fish farming interests, and the potential threat to native fishes, are thought to be serious.