[3] It was described by Eduard Rüppell in 1837, originally under the genus Bagrus.

[1] It inhabits estuaries and occasionally freshwater bodies, in Japan, Australia, Polynesia, southern Vietnam in the Mekong Delta, the Red Sea and the northwestern Indian Ocean.

It dwells at a depth range of 10 to 195 m (33 to 640 ft).

The diet of the giant catfish includes crustaceans such as crabs, shrimp, prawns and stomatopods; worms, finfish, cephalopods, sea cucumbers, and mollusks.

[7] The giant catfish is harvested commercially and recreationally.