Catfish: description of fish, habitat, species that eat

Catfish is a fairly large predatory fish that prefers to live in rivers and lakes with fresh water. Catfish is a prominent representative of the class of ray-finned fish, the catfish order, the catfish family.

Catfish fish: description

This representative of the catfish family has a rather long and, at the same time, flattened body that does not have scales. The rather strong body of this fish is covered with a thick layer of mucus, which provides the predator with excellent movement in the water column. The head is broad and flattened, with relatively small eyes. The mouth is also wide with a set of although small, but numerous teeth. Catfish can be easily distinguished from other fish species by the presence of long whiskers on both the lower and upper jaws. Whiskers of catfish play an important role in the search for food, as they are organs of touch. Scientists know about more than 500 species of this fish, which differ from each other, both in color and in size.

How many som lives?

A catfish that lives in comfortable conditions is able to live for about 60 years, although there is information indicating that individuals that have reached the age of 75 have been caught.

catfish diet

This predator prefers to lead a benthic lifestyle, hiding in pits at a considerable depth. At the same time, he is unpretentious in food and is able to feed on objects of both animal and vegetable origin. But given the fact that the catfish is still a predator, its diet mainly consists of animal food, and the size of the prey depends on the size of the predator itself. Its diet also includes dead objects of animal origin, so it can often be seen near fishing nets. A hungry big catfish can easily drag a dog or a small calf under the water if they are in the water.

Habitat

Catfish lives in almost all water bodies of Europe and Asia, including in rivers flowing into the seas, so it can often be seen in the waters of the seas, not far from the mouths of the rivers. At the same time, in such conditions, the catfish will not live long. But the channel catfish is able to live in such conditions.

Best biting period

July August. It is best caught shortly after spawning, usually occurring at a temperature of 18-22 degrees. The best fishing time during the day should be considered from dusk to dawn. But even during the day, the possibility of his grips is not ruled out if the bait passes close to his mouth.

Types of catfish with photos and names

The catfish family boasts a number of amazing creatures.

Catfish ordinary or European

Able to grow in length up to 5 meters and weigh at the same time within 400 kg. It is distributed throughout the rivers and lakes of Europe and the European part of our country. There are known cases of attacks of large individuals on people, not to mention animals.

American catfish (pygmy catfish)

This is a representative of the reservoirs of South America. Its length is within one meter with a maximum weight of 10 kg. The mouth of this predator is distinguished by a special structure and arrangement of teeth. The teeth are located in the mouth in several rows, and in each row the teeth have a different size: from smaller to larger. This arrangement of teeth allows the predator to securely capture and hold its prey.

electric catfish

Represents the reservoirs of the African continent and the Arab countries. It is capable of generating electrical impulses sufficient to deal with fairly large prey. There is evidence that animals that were in the water died from the electrical discharges of this predator.

The catfish family also boasts a huge variety of ornamental fish, such as ancistrus catfish, tarakatum, pladytoras and others. At the same time, their color variety is often amazing, as evidenced by a number of photographs.

Breeding process

In the natural environment, catfish spawn when the water has warmed up to a certain temperature, which corresponds to the end of May – the beginning of June. To lay their eggs, the catfish goes in search of suitable places, which correspond to quiet channels, thickets of aquatic vegetation, shady backwaters, etc. The process of spawning is accompanied by the process of courtship of the male for the female, as evidenced by noisy splashes with many splashes. As a rule, the female chooses from several candidates one, the strongest male. After such games, the female and the male go to the place chosen by the female, where she will lay her eggs. But before that, she will dig a hole with her pectoral fins. Often the depth of the pit is almost a meter.

After 7, maximum 10 days, catfish fry appear from the eggs, which, after 2 weeks, begin to settle in the reservoir.

What you need to know about catfish:

• Catfish is quite smart and cunning fish. When he hunts his potential prey, he uses his mustache. He opens his mouth and begins to move his whiskers, which is similar to the movement of worms in the water. When the prey approaches a dangerous distance, the catfish simply draws water into itself along with the prey.
• The catfish is quite an active hunter and eats all objects of animal origin if they are in the water. Depending on the size of the predator, it can drag a duck passing by or a nest located low above the water, as well as other animals, if they are in the water for one reason or another.
• The weight of this predator can reach more than 350 kg, with its length up to 5 meters. Its color can be different, where it is lighter and where it is darker, depending on the habitat.
• Catfish is a rather dangerous fish, as it can also attack people, due to its huge size.

In conclusion

Catfish is not only a huge fish, but also quite useful in terms of nutrition. Its meat is very tasty and you can cook any dishes from it, including restaurant ones, not to mention home cooking.

Catching a catfish is not so easy, given that a weighty specimen can peck. Various baits are used as hook attachments, depending on the size of the individuals. Smaller catfish are caught on creeps or on a bunch of worms, and larger catfish need to be attracted with a more interesting hook attachment. Live or dead fish, frogs, crayfish, etc. are suitable for this. To catch a specimen weighing up to 100 kg, you will have to fry a whole chicken. At the same time, you should think about your safety, especially if fishing is carried out from a boat.