Catfish are a diverse ray-finned fish family. Catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia, the wels catfish from Eurasia, and the piraba from South America. Scales are not found on either the armor-plated or naked types. So here are 20 Amazing facts about this tasty fish.
- The scientific name for catfish is Siluriformes, and they are a diverse group of ray-finned fish found throughout the world except for Antarctica. Catfish are of the bottom-feeding variety of fish and can be found in coastal regions and freshwater habitats.
- A grown-up catfish can have more than 150,000 taste buds, where humans have only 10,000 taste buds.
- A lost Dachshund dog was found swallowed whole in the stomach of a giant catfish in Berlin in July 2003.
- There are about 3000 known species of catfish in the world, but it is estimated that the total number of catfish species could be as high as 4500, where there is no or little human contact.
- Father catfish keep the eggs in their mouth until they are ready to hatch and don’t eat until then, which may take several weeks.
- A father sea catfish keeps his young eggs in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He will not eat until his young are born, which may take several weeks.
- Pangasianodon gigas is the world’s most giant catfish ever found. It weighed about 300 kg and measured about 10.5 ft(3.2 m) wide. It is also listed in the Guinness book of world records as the world’s largest freshwater fish.
- Wels catfishes have a lifespan of around 60 years.
- Catfish are carnivores(meat-eaters) and are primarily dependent on fish, insects, worms, frogs, and newts for their appetite. They are bottom dwellers (feed on the bottom of the water) and are active during the day(diurnal), night(nocturnal), or at the dusk and dawn(crepuscular), depending on the species.
- On average, catfish can reach a length of 3-4 meters (9-14 ft) and weigh over 300 kg.
- Catfish can reach maturity at the age of 3 years.
- When catfish reach the size of the index finger or 4 inches, they are called as fingerlings.
- Banjo catfishes are the smallest in their species measuring an average adult size of 5-6 inches (12.7-15.2cm).
- The adult Electric Catfish can produce an electric shock of about 300-350 volts. The fish uses this voltage to stun/paralyze its prey and its attackers to avoid conflict and to keep it from getting injured. They are found in tropical Africa and the Nile River.
- Catfish (order Siluriformes) is one of the largest orders of teleosts containing near 4100 species.
- Catfish are inhabited in all continents of the world except Antarctica.
- Catfish Farming in Mississippi. Farm-raised catfish is the largest aquaculture industry in the United States. In 2005, the U.S. catfish industry produced 600 million pounds of catfish from 165,000 pond water acres.
- Catfish do not have scales on them and have similar skin to humans.
- Flathead catfish swallow all their bait or food together. So if you will cut its stomach, you will find the bait in full.
- June 25 is National Catfish Day in the United States; it was declared by President Reagan in 1987.
