Catfish Information & Photos

Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a very diverse group of bony fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers (though not prominent in all members of this order), catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa. There are armour-plated types and also naked types, neither having scales. Despite their common name, not all catfish have prominent barbels; what defines a fish as being in the order Siluriformes are in fact certain features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. (Info from Wikipedia)

Blue Catfish (Arius graeffei) Photographs and Information - Blue catfish are found in estuaries and the open sea.  Their mouths are encircled with barbels or whiskers

Lesser Salmon Catfish (Neoarius australia) Photographs and Information - Lesser Salmon Catfish are taken by commercial fishers mainly in river systems, wither by gillnets, handline or trapping.  They are also an incidental catch of demersal otter trawlers in northern Australia.

Asian River Catfish (Pangasius) - Found in large rivers and estuaries. Occurs in high estuary (freshwater tidal zone) as juveniles, moving to brackish water as sub-adults, and finally as adults to river mouths and inshore areas

Blue Eye Catfish - Occurs in freshwater coastal swamps and the flood-prone zones of rivers. Gregarious, lives schools which may consist of several hundred fish. Hides under roots, leaves or stocks.

Ripsaw Catfish (Niger Catfish) - Occurs over mud in streams and lakes. Forms schools. Feeds on detritus, chironomid and ephemeropteran larvae, and crustaceans.

Tiger Catfish - Occurs in estuarine zones, mainly upstream of the first rapids up to the basin's headwaters. Nocturnal species which lives in the main bed of slow or fast zones, as well as in the flooded forests

Red Tailed Catfish - These grow up to 45kg.

Asian Redtail Catfish - Occurs in most habitat types, but most frequent in large muddy rivers, with slow current and soft bottom. Enters flooded forest. Feeds on exogenous insects, aquatic insect larvae, shrimps, other crustaceans and fishes.

Striped Catfish (Sutchi Catfish) - Pangasius hypophthalmus - Up to 44kg, Inhabits large rivers. Omnivorous, feeding on fish and crustaceans as well as on vegetable debris. A migratory species, moving upstream of the Mekong

Walking Catfish (Whitespotted Clarias) - Occurs in streams, ponds, ditches and reservoirs. Prefers deeper pools and tends to hide under thick mats of vegetation; a nocturnal feeder on small fishes, worms, crustaceans and insects. THIS IS A VENOMOUS FISH!!!

Catfish Suppliers - Processors, Catfish Farmers, Exporters, Importers, Wholesalers

For suppliers also see:  
Basa Catfish  |   Channel Catfish  |   Spotted Catfish  |   Wels Catfish