|
|
(Click Refresh to see another Catfish Photo.)
|
Catfish > Quick Stats |
Food:
A Catfish with it's mouth pointing straight forward will eat anything that fits, a mouth pointing downward means they scavenge leftovers.
|
Breeding:
Catfish are hard to breed. Most of them must be full grown to spawn and that can require huge amounts of water.
|
Tank Conditions:
Most catfish can live in any water condition, Corys can be a bit touchy.
|
|
The order Siluriformes is a large, very diverse order of fish known as catfish.
Catfish can vary in size, with the Giant wels catfish at 670 lbs and 13 ft in length the largest. You probably don't want one of those as a pet.
Catfish are so-named due to the barbels (or feelers) that protrude from the upper part of the jaw and, in some species, from the lower jaw, resembling the whiskers of a feline cat.
The entire family of catfish have air-breathing organs, enabling them to live outside of the water. The walking catfish is one of these fish, and can migrate across land to another body of water. The blind catfish is unusual in that it lives in caves. The eyes are atrophied and useless its to dark in a cave to see anyway.
The candiru of South America is the only vertebrate to parasitize humans; it uses spines located around its head to lodge itself in the human urethra.
Catfish can be found in freshwater in North America, Africa, Asia, and South America. There almost everywhere.
|
| Related Web Links |
|
|
| References/Further Reading |
Andrews, C., and U. Baensch. 1991 Tropical Aquarium Fish. Tetra Werke, Melle, Germany. 240 pp.
Burgess, W.E. 1987 Corydoras and Related Catfishes: An Introduction by Dr. Warren E. Burgess. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ. 123 pp.
Burgess, W.E. 1989 An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ. 784 pp., color illus.
Chen, T.T. & Powers, D.A. 1988. Fish genetic engineering: A novel approach in aquaculture. In Proceeding of Aquaculture International Congress, Vancouver B.C., 35p.
Kobayagawa, M. (edited by W. Burgess) 1991 The World of Catfishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune, NJ. 192 pp., color illus.
Ferraris, C.J. 1991 Catfish in the Aquarium. Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ. 199 pp., some color illus.
Sands, D.D. 1983 Catfishes of the World. 4 Vols. Vol. 1, Callichthyidae; Vol. 2, Mochokidae; Vol. 3, Auchenipteridae & Pimelodidae; Vol. 4, Loricardae & Doradidae, Aspredinidae. Dunure Enterprises, Ayr, Scotland.
Aquarium Fish Magazine: Published bimonthly; subscriptions available from Aquarium Fish Magazine, Subscription Department, P.O. Box 484, Mt. Morris, Illinois 61054-0484. Telephone: 815-734-6083.
|
|
|
Catfish & scavengers are some of the most interesting and colorful of the aquarium fish to watch. They are also one of the most necessary, cleaning up left over food and decaying plants that help to keep an aquarium balanced and the fish healthy.
Most catfish are nocturnal scavengers and feed on insects and algae.
They are popular aquarium pets as they will eat any algae growing on the sides of the fish tank.
There are 2200 species of catfish in 34 families.
It is best to wait at least 6 weeks before introducing catfish and scavengers. Algae eating species are better introduced when the aquarium has been set up for about 3 months.
Corydoras, or "Cory" Catfish are a large group of South American armored catfish. There are over 70 species of Corydoras Catfish, all similar in size and all requiring the same care. They are small, ranging in size from 1-3 inches in length. Due to their tireless scavenging, Corydoras catfish are most often used as "cleaner" fish for the aquarium. It is recommended to keep these fish in groups of four or more. Mixing species is fine.
The Plecostomus Catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus, is a long time fish tank favorite. This fish has the ability to keep the aquarium free of algae. It does this by "sucking" at the aquarium wals or decorations with its sown-turned mouth.
Catfish & scavengers are some of the most interesting and colorful fish to watch. They also provide a great service by, cleaning up left over food and decaying plants that helps to keep an aquarium water balanced and the other fish healthy.
Temperament:
All catfish are well mannered and get along well with others. A catfish whose mouth points forward will eat any size fish that will fit, scavengers with their mouth turned down will help to keep an aquarium clean.
Definition:
1: flesh of scaleless food fish of the southern United States; often farmed [syn: mudcat]
2: large ferocious northern deep-sea food fishes with strong teeth and no pelvic fins [syn: wolffish, wolf fish]
3: any of numerous mostly freshwater bottom-living fishes of Eurasia and North America with barbels like whiskers around the mouth [syn: siluriform fish]
|
|
| References/Further Reading |
|
Andrews, C., and U. Baensch. 1991 Tropical Aquarium Fish. Tetra Werke, Melle, Germany. 240 pp.
Burgess, W.E. 1987 Corydoras and Related Catfishes: An Introduction by Dr. Warren E. Burgess. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ. 123 pp.
Burgess, W.E. 1989 An Atlas of Freshwater and Marine Catfishes. A preliminary survey of the Siluriformes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ. 784 pp., color illus.
Chen, T.T. & Powers, D.A. 1988. Fish genetic engineering: A novel approach in aquaculture. In Proceeding of Aquaculture International Congress, Vancouver B.C., 35p.
Kobayagawa, M. (edited by W. Burgess) 1991 The World of Catfishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune, NJ. 192 pp., color illus.
Ferraris, C.J. 1991 Catfish in the Aquarium. Tetra Press, Morris Plains, NJ. 199 pp., some color illus.
Sands, D.D. 1983 Catfishes of the World. 4 Vols. Vol. 1, Callichthyidae; Vol. 2, Mochokidae; Vol. 3, Auchenipteridae & Pimelodidae; Vol. 4, Loricardae & Doradidae, Aspredinidae. Dunure Enterprises, Ayr, Scotland.
Aquarium Fish Magazine: Published bimonthly; subscriptions available from Aquarium Fish Magazine, Subscription Department, P.O. Box 484, Mt. Morris, Illinois 61054-0484. Telephone: 815-734-6083.
|
|
