Catfish is a type of fish mainly found in coastal and inland waters. They are found all around the world except in Antarctica. Their name is such because they have whiskers around their mouth which are similar to the cat. Their size and weight can vary from being a tiny fish of one centimetre to weighing up to 700 pounds which is more than 300 kilograms.
Let us now quickly learn about few fascinating facts about Catfish.
Catfish can lay about 4000 eggs every year.
Some varieties of catfish can breathe through their skin that is why most of them do not have scales around their skin but have smooth skin covered with mucus.
Catfish can communicate with each other using a special organ called Webern.
Catfish can have more than 27000 taste buds around their body which helps them to detect any harmful chemical or substance if present in water.
Catfishes can walk! Yes. They use their tail and frontal fins to walk a short distance on the ground.
When a catfish grows up to 4 inches long, it is called fingerlings as it becomes a size of an index finger.
25th June is celebrated as Catfish Day.
When catfish sense danger, they can release poison from the glands present in their skin.
They are carnivores in nature. Their diet includes insects, small fishes, newts, etc.
Catfish can live up to the age of 20 years. Catfishes are mostly grown by farming and used as a means of food. Some species of catfish like the Mekong are on the verge of extinction due to polluted water and over-fishing. A catfish is a beautiful fish that can be kept in an aquarium and also can be found in waters having a giant size.