Catfish (Wels) approx. 40 - 50 cm natural color

The European wels catfish or Danube catfish (Latin: Silurus glanis) is the largest purely freshwater fish in Europe and, alongside the Aristotle's catfish (Latin: Silurus aristotelis), the only European species of the true catfishes family (Latin: Siluridae). Regionally, it is also known as Waller or Schaidfisch, as well as by numerous variations of these names. Catfish are predominantly nocturnal and crepuscular predators that feed on live and dead fish, but also on invertebrates and occasionally on small water birds and mammals. Their activity throughout the year is strongly dependent on temperature and the availability of prey, reaching a maximum in spring after winter dormancy and in late autumn after spawning.