Describe the Wels catfish diet components that capture public and scientific attention regarding large prey consumption?

Substantial fish, small mammals, and birds that fall or alight on the water surface.

While the Wels catfish is an opportunistic omnivore consuming a varied diet including insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and native fish, certain aspects of its predation behavior garner significant attention. This attention stems from their capacity to consume much larger prey items than typically expected. Reports confirm that their diet extends to taking substantial fish, and they are also known to consume terrestrial animals such as small mammals and birds that accidentally fall into the water or land on the surface. This willingness to take prey from the surface indicates a behavioral adaptation where they sometimes move up the water column to ambush unsuspecting animals near the edges.