Catfish is a group of freshwater fishes with unique morphological features and habits. The following is a detailed introduction to catfish:

I. Basic Characteristics

Morphology: Body shape: Catfish usually have an elongated body with a flat head and a laterally compressed tail.

Head: The mouth is inferior, with a small slit that ends just below the anterior margin of the eye. The lower jaw is prominent.

Tentacles: Adults have 2 pairs of 4 whiskers, with the maxillary whiskers reaching the end of the pectoral fins and the mandibular whiskers being shorter. Juvenile whiskers 3 pairs, 1 pair of chin whiskers begin to disappear when body length reaches about 60 mm.

Eyes: The eyes are small and covered by a dermal membrane.

Scales: The surface of the fish has no scales and is mucousy.

Color: The color of catfish varies according to species and growing environment. Common colors include dark gray, grayish yellow, etc. There may be irregular white spots or mottled patterns on the side of the body.

Life Habits

Habitat: Catfish mainly live in the middle and lower layers of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and pits, mostly in the littoral zone.

Activity time: Catfish are nocturnal animals, hiding in the grass, under the rocks or deep water during the day, and foraging frequently at night.

Food: Catfish is a carnivorous fish, prey on small fish, such as meal bars, crucian carp, gobies, whelks, carp, loaches, etc., but also eat shrimp and aquatic insects.

Growth and reproduction

Sexual maturity: catfish can reach sexual maturity at the earliest age of 1, but only some of the faster-growing individuals, accounting for about 50% of the group. 2-year-old individuals are all sexually mature.

Breeding season: In the natural environment, the breeding season of catfish is 47 months, and the more suitable spawning water temperature is 30℃.

Breeding characteristics: Catfish have a special type of spawning, in which the development of oocytes in the ovaries is synchronized, but not in the same batch, but in several batches. Under artificial circumstances, a parent fish can spawn 3~4 times a year, each time the average spawning of about 2,000 eggs.

IV. Other Information

Distribution: Catfish is widely distributed, most of them live in the fresh water of ponds or rivers, and a small number of them are also distributed in the ocean.

Economic value: catfish meat is delicious, is a high-protein low-fat, nutritious food. Family raising catfish can not only bring fun, but also get some economic benefits.

In summary, catfish is a class of freshwater fish with unique morphology and habits, its wide distribution, high economic value, is one of the favorite ingredients.