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Revision as of 21:07, 10 February 2009 editKDS4444 (talk | contribs)17,241 edits Added notation that barbels are not prominent in all species, am thiking specifically about the plecostamus family← Previous edit Revision as of 20:11, 11 February 2009 edit undo24.245.93.226 (talk) ←Replaced content with 'Catfish are bottom feeding fish that live all over the world. They breed but eggs can only hatch in running water.There are 36 species of catfish.'Next edit →
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Catfish are bottom feeding fish that live all over the world. They breed but eggs can only hatch in running water.There are 36 species of catfish.
{{dablink|This article is about the siluriform catfishes; for the Atlantic catfish, see ]; for other uses, see ].}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Catfish
| fossil_range = Late ] - Present
| image = Eel-tail catfish.jpg
| image_caption = Eel-tail catfish
| image_width = 240px
| regnum = ]ia
| phylum = ]
| classis = ]
| superordo = ]
| ordo = '''Siluriformes'''
| subdivision_ranks = Families
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'''Catfish''' (] '''Siluriformes''') are a very diverse group of ] ]. Named for their prominent ]s, which resemble a ]'s ]s (though not prominent in all members of this order), catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest, the ] from Southeast ] and the longest, the ] of Eurasia, to ]s (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny ] species commonly called the ], ''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 ] or ] for ]. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus '']'', are important in the ]''.

==Taxonomy==
The catfishes are a ] group. This is supported by molecular evidence.<ref name="Sullivan"/>

Catfish belong to a superorder called the ], which also includes the ], ], ] and ], a superorder characterized by the ]. Some place Gymnotiformes as a sub-order of Siluriformes, however this is not as widely accepted. Currently, the Siluriformes are said to be the ] to the Gymnotiformes, though this has been debated due to more recent molecular evidence.<ref name="Nelson"/> {{As of|2007}} there are about 36 ] catfish families, and about 3,023 extant species have been described.<ref name=ferraris/> This makes the catfish order the second or third most diverse ] order; in fact, 1 out of every 20 vertebrate species is a catfish.<ref name=tol>{{cite web|url=http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Siluriformes&contgroup=Ostariophysi|title=Siluriformes|last=Lundberg|first=John G.|coauthors=Friel, John P.|publisher=]|date=2003-01-20|accessdate=2007-04-18}}</ref>

The taxonomy of catfishes is quickly changing. In a 2007 and 2008 paper, '']'', '']'', and '']'' were not classified under any current catfish families.<ref name=ferraris>{{cite journal|url=http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2007f/zt01418p300.pdf|title=Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types|first=Carl J., Jr.|last=Ferraris|journal=]|volume=1418|pages=1–628|year=2007|format=]|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-7-10.|doi_brokendate=2008-06-29}}</ref> There is disagreement on the family status of certain groups; for example, Nelson (2006) lists Auchenoglanididae and Heteropneustidae as separate families, while the All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI) includes them under other families. Also, ] and the ] lists Parakysidae as a separate family, while this group is included under ] by both Nelson (2006) and ACSI.<ref name="Nelson"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://silurus.acnatsci.org/ACSI/taxa/Families.html|title=Catfish Families|publisher=All Catfish Species Inventory|accessdate=2007-04-28}}</ref><ref>{{FishBase family|family=Parakysidae|year=2007|month=Apr}}</ref><ref>{{ITIS|ID=553185|taxon=Parakysidae|year=2007|month=Apr}}</ref> Many sources do not list the recently revised family ].<ref name=Anchariidae>{{cite journal|title=Revision of the endemic Malagasy catfish family Anchariidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes), with descriptions of a new genus and three new species|first=Heok Hee|last=Ng|coauthors=Sparks, John S.|year=2005|journal=Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters|volume=16|issue=4|pages=303–323}}</ref> The family ], including ''Horabagrus'', '']'', and '']'', is also not shown by some authors but presented by others as a true group.<ref name="Sullivan"/> Thus, the actual number of families differs between authors. The species count is in constant flux due to ] work as well as description of new species. On the other hand, our understanding of catfishes should increase in the next few years due to work by the ACSI.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite book|title=]|last=Nelson|first=Joseph S.|publisher=], Inc|year=2006|isbn=0471250317}}</ref>

The rate of description of new catfishes is at an all-time high. Between 2003 and 2005, over 100 species have been named, a rate three times faster than that of the past century.<ref name=neotropdiversity>{{cite journal|url=http://www.ufrgs.br/ni/vol3num4%5Cpreface.pdf|title=Neotropical catfish diversity: an historical perspective|first=Carl J., Jr.|last=Ferraris|coauthors=]|journal=Neotropical Ichthyology|volume=3|issue=4|pages=453–454|year=2005|doi=10.1590/S1679-62252005000400001|format=PDF}}</ref> In June, 2005, researchers named the newest family of catfish, ], only the third new family of fish distinguished in the last 70 years (others being the ] in 1938 and the ] in 1983). The new species in ], '']'', was found in the ] in the Mexican state of ].<ref name=rodiles>{{cite journal|url=http://www.digimorph.org/specimens/Lacantunia_enigmatica/zt01000.pdf|title=''Lacantunia enigmatica'' (Teleostei: Siluriformes) a new and phylogenetically puzzling freshwater fish from Mesoamerica|last=Rodiles-Hernández|first=Rocío|coauthors=Hendrickson, Dean A.; Lundberg, John G.; Humphries, Julian M.|journal=]|pages=1–24|year=2005|volume=1000|id=ISSN: 1175-5334|format=]|doi=10.1635/0097-3157(2007)1562.0.CO;2}}</ref>

According to ] data, ] is usually considered to be the most primitive of catfishes and the ] to the remaining catfishes, grouped in a ] called '''Siluroidei'''. Recent molecular evidence contrasts the prevailing hypothesis, where the suborder Loricarioidei are the sister group to all catfishes, including Diplomystidae (Diplomystoidei) and Siluroidei; though they were not able to reject the past hypothesis, the new hypothesis is not unsupported. Siluroidei was found to be monophyletic without Loricarioid families or Diplomystidae with molecular evidence; morphological evidence is unknown that supports Siluroidei without Loricarioidea.<ref name="Sullivan"/>

Below is a list of family relationships by different authors. Lacantuniidae is included in the Sullivan scheme based on recent evidence that places it sister to ].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://webspace.utexas.edu/deanhend/www/pdfs/Lundberg_2007_African_roots_Lacantunia.pdf|journal=Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia|volume=156|pages=39–53|month=June | title=Discovery of African roots for the Mesoamerican Chiapas catfish, ''Lacantunia enigmatica'', requires an ancient intercontinental passage|first=John G.|last=Lundberg|coauthors=Sullivan, John P.; Rodiles-Hernández, Rocío; Hendrickson, Dean A.|format=]|doi=10.1635/0097-3157(2007)1562.0.CO;2|year=2007}}</ref>

{|
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=2 | Nelson, 2006<ref name="Nelson"/>
! colspan=2 | Sullivan et al., 2006<ref name="Sullivan">{{cite journal|journal=Mol Phylogenet Evol.|year=2006|volume=41|issue=3|pages=636–62|title=A phylogenetic analysis of the major groups of catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) using rag1 and rag2 nuclear gene sequences|last=Sullivan|first=JP|coauthors=Lundberg JG; Hardman M|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.044}}</ref>
|- valign="top"
| width=25% |
*Unresolved families
**Cetopsidae
**Pseudopimelodidae
**Heptapteridae
**Cranoglanididae
**Ictaluridae
*]
**Amphiliidae
**Trichomycteridae
**Nematogenyiidae
**Callichthyidae
**Scoloplacidae
**Astroblepidae
**Loricariidae
*]
**Amblycipitidae
**Akysidae
**Sisoridae
**Erethistidae
**Aspredinidae
*Doradoidea
**Mochokidae
**Doradidae
**Auchenipteridae
| width=25% |
*Siluroidea
**Siluridae
**Malapteruridae
**Auchenoglanididae
**Chacidae
**Plotosidae
**Clariidae
**Heteropneustidae
*Bagroidea
**Austroglanididae
**Claroteidae
**Ariidae
**Schilbeidae
**Pangasiidae
**Bagridae
**Pimelodidae
| width=25% |
*Unresolved families
**Cetopsidae
**Plotosidae
**Chacidae
**Siluridae
**Pangasiidae
*Suborder Loricarioidei
**Trichomycteridae
**Nematogenyiidae
**Callichthyidae
**Scoloplacidae
**Astroblepidae
**Loricariidae
*Clarioidea
**Clariidae
**Heteropneustidae
*Arioidea
**Ariidae
**Anchariidae
*Pimelodoidea
**Pimelodidae
**Pseudopimelodidae
**Heptapteridae
**''Conorhynchos''
*Ictaluroidea
**Ictaluridae
**Cranoglanididae
| width=25% |
*Doradoidea (sister to Aspredinidae)
**Doradidae
**Auchenipteridae
*"Big Asia"
**Sisoroidea
***Amblycipitidae
***Akysidae
***Sisoridae
***Erethistidae
**'']'' + '']'' (Asian schilbeids)
**Horabagridae ('']'' + '']'' + '']'')
**Bagridae (without '']'')
*"Big Africa"
**Mochokidae
**Malapteruridae
**Amphiliidae
**Claroteidae
**Lacantuniidae
**Schilbeidae
|}
|}

==Distribution and habitat==
Extant catfish species live in inland or coastal waters of every continent except ]. Catfish have inhabited all continents at one time or another.<ref name="Nelson"/> Catfish are most diverse in ] ], ], and ].<ref name=tol/> More than half of all catfish species live in the ]. They are the only ]s that have entered ] habitats in ], ], and ].<ref name="Bruton">{{cite journal|url=http://www.edpsciences.org/articles/alr/pdf/1996/05/alr96hs02.pdf?access=ok|format=]|title=Alternative life-history strategies of catfishes|last=Bruton|first=Michael N.|journal=Aquat. Living Resour.|year=1996|volume=9|pages=35–41|doi=10.1051/alr:1996040}}</ref>

They are found primarily in freshwater environments of all kinds, though most inhabit shallow, running water habitats.<ref name="Bruton"/> Representatives of at least eight families are ] (live underground) with three families that are also ] (inhabiting caves). Thus, catfishes are some of the most successful cave colonizers among fishes.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Morphological Adaptations of the Texas Blind Catfishes ''Trogloglanis pattersoni'' and ''Satan eurystomus'' (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) to Their Underground Environment|first=Thomas G.|last=Langecker|coauthors=Longley, Glenn|journal=]|year=1993|pages=976–986|doi=10.2307/1447075|volume=1993}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Mexican blindcats genus ''Prietella'' (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae): an overview of recent explorations|first=Dean A.|last=Hendrickson|coauthors=Krejca, Jean K.; Martinez, Juan Manuel Rodríguez|journal=Environmental Biology of Fishes|volume=62|pages=315–337|year=2001|doi=10.1023/A:1011808805094}}</ref> One such species is '']'', known to live underground in ] habitats.<ref name=pcisternarum>{{FishBase species|genus=Phreatobius|species=cisternarum|year=2007|month=Apr}}</ref> Numerous species from the families ] and ], and a few species from among the ] and ], are also found in marine environments.<ref>Monks N. (editor): Brackish Water Fishes, TFH 2006, ISBN 0-7938-0564-3</ref><ref>Schäfer F: Brackish Water Fishes, Aqualog 2005, ISBN 3-936027-82-X</ref>


==Physical characteristics==
===External anatomy===
Most catfish are adapted for a benthic lifestyle. In general, they are ], which means that they will usually sink rather than float due to a reduced ] and a heavy, bony head.<ref name="Bruton"/> Catfish have a variety of body shapes, though most have a ] body with a flattened ] to allow for benthic feeding.<ref name="Bruton"/>

A flattened head allows for digging through the substrate as well as perhaps serving as a ]. Most have a mouth that can expand to a large size and contains no ] teeth; catfish generally feed through ] or gulping rather than biting and cutting prey.<ref name="Bruton"/> However, some families, notably ] and ], have a ] that allows them to fasten themselves to objects in fast-moving water. Catfish also have a ] reduced to a support for ]; this means that they are unable to protrude their mouths as other fish such as ].<ref name="Bruton"/>

] has four pairs of ].]]
Catfish may have up to four pairs of barbels: nasal, maxillary (on each side of mouth), and two pairs of chin barbels, although pairs of barbels may be absent, depending on the species. Because their barbels are more important in detecting food, the eyes on catfish are generally small. Like other ]s, they are characterized by the presence of a ].<ref name="Nelson"/> Their well-developed Weberian apparatus and reduced ] allow for improved ] as well as sound production.<ref name="Bruton"/>

]''.]]
Catfish have no ]s; their bodies are often naked. In some species, the ]-covered ] is used in cutaneous ], where the fish breathes through its skin.<ref name="Bruton"/> In some catfish, the skin is covered in bony plates called ]; some form of body armor has evolved a number of times within the order. In ] and in the Asian genus '']'', the armor is primarily made up of one or more rows of free ] plates. Similar plates are found in large specimens of '']''. These plates may be supported by ]l ]es, as in ] and in ''Sisor'', but the processes never fuse to the plates or form any external armor. By contrast, in the subfamily Doumeinae (family ]) and in hoplomyzontines (]), the armor is formed solely by expanded vertebral processes that form plates. Finally, the lateral armor of ], ''Sisor'', and hoplomyzontines consists of hypertrophied ] ]s with dorsal and ventral ].<ref>{{cite journal|first=J.|coauthors=Lundberg, J. G.|year=1996|title=''Micromyzon akamai'', gen. et sp. nov., a small and eyeless banjo catfish (Siluriformes: Aspredinidae) from the river channels of the lower Amazon basin|journal=]|issue=3|pages=641–648|unused_data=Friel}}</ref>

]'', may be fatal.]]
All catfish, except members of ] (electric catfish), possess a strong, hollow, bonified leading spine-like ray on their ] and ]s. As a defense, these spines may be locked into place so that they stick outwards, which can inflict severe wounds.<ref name=tol/> In several species catfish can use these fin rays to deliver a stinging ] if the fish is irritated.<ref name=fin>{{cite web| url = http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/channel_catfish.htm|title=Channel Catfish |accessdate=2006-12-02|publisher=Fairfax County Public Schools}}</ref> This ] is produced by ]ular cells in the ] tissue covering the spines.<ref name="Nelson"/> In members of the family ], and of the genus '']'', this protein is so strong it may hospitalize humans unfortunate enough to receive a sting; in '']'', the stings may result in death.<ref name="Nelson"/>

Juvenile catfish, like most fish, have relatively large heads, eyes and posterior median fins in comparison to larger, more mature individuals. These juveniles can be readily placed in their families, particularly those with highly derived fin or body shapes; in some cases identification of the genus is possible. As far as known for most catfish, features that are often characteristic of species such as mouth and fin positions, fin shapes, and barbel lengths show little difference between juveniles and adults. For many species, pigmentation pattern is also similar in juveniles and adults. Thus, juvenile catfishes generally resemble and develop smoothly into their adult form without distinct juvenile specializations. Exceptions to this are the ariid catfishes, where the young retain yolk sacs late into juvenile stages, and many pimelodids, which may have elongated barbels and fin filaments or coloration patterns.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/~tberra/pdf-files/Diplomystes.pdf|title=First description of small juveniles of the primitive catfish ''Diplomystes'' (Siluriformes: Diplomystidae)|first=John G.|last=Lundberg|coauthors=Berra, Tim M.; Friel, John P.|journal=Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters|volume=15|issue=1|pages=71–82|month=March | year=2004|format=]}}</ref>

] is reported in about half of all families of catfish.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/zt01125p056.pdf|title=''Synodontis acanthoperca'', a new species from the Ogôoué River system, Gabon with comments on spiny ornamentation and sexual dimorphism in mochokid catfishes (Siluriformes: Mochokidae)|first=John P.|last=Friel|coauthors=Vigliotta, Thomas R.|journal=]|volume=1125|pages=45–56|year=2006|format=]}}</ref> The modification of the ] into an ] (in internal fertilizers) as well as accessory structures of the reproductive apparatus (in both internal and external fertilizers) have been described in species belonging to 11 different families.<ref name="Mazzoldi">{{cite journal|title=Variation of male reproductive apparatus in relation to fertilization modalities in the catfish families Auchenipteridae and Callichthyidae (Teleostei: Siluriformes)|first=C.|last=Mazzoldi|coauthors=Lorenzi, V.; Rasotto, M. B.|journal=Journal of Fish Biology|year=2007|volume=70|pages=243–256|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.2006.01300.x}}</ref>

===Size===
], ''Phractocephalus hemioliopterus'', from the Amazon. This species is often offered for sale when juvenile to aquarists who little suspect it can attain 120 cm.]]

Catfish have one of the greatest range in size within a single order of ].<ref name="Bruton"/> Many catfish have a maximum length of under 12 cm.<ref name="Nelson"/> Some of the smallest species of ] and ] reach sexual maturity at only {{convert|1|cm|in}}.<ref name=tol/>

The ], ''Silurus glanis'', is the only native catfish species of Europe, besides the much smaller related ] found in ]. ] and literature record wels catfish of astounding proportions, yet to be proven scientifically. The average size of the species is about 1.2&ndash;1.6&nbsp;m (3.9&ndash;5.2&nbsp;ft), and fish more than {{convert|2|m|ft}} are very rare. The largest specimens on record measure more than {{convert|2.5|m|ft}} in length and sometimes exceeded {{convert|100|kg|lb}}.

The largest '']'', caught in the ] on May 22, 2005, weighed {{convert|124|lb|kg}}. The largest ], ''Pylodictis olivaris'', ever caught was in ], weighing 123&nbsp;lb 9&nbsp;oz (56.0&nbsp;kg). However, these records pale in comparison to a ] caught in northern ] in May 1, 2005 and reported to the press almost 2 months later that weighed {{convert|293|kg|lb}}. This is the largest giant Mekong catfish caught since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981.<ref name=Mekong>{{cite web|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0629_050629_giantcatfish.html|title=Grizzly Bear-Size Catfish Caught in Thailand |accessdate=2006-07-14|publisher=National Geographic News}}</ref> The giant Mekong catfish are not well studied since they live in developing countries and it is quite possible that they can grow even larger.

===Internal anatomy===
In many catfish, the ''humeral process'' is a bony process extending backward from the ] immediately above the base of the pectoral fin. It lies beneath the skin where its outline may be determined by dissecting the skin or probing with a needle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Glossary/Glossary.cfm?TermEnglish=humeral%20process|title=Term : humeral process|publisher=]|year=2007}}</ref>

The ] of catfish are composed of single ]s and large ]s. Many catfish have a ] which may help enhance ] capture and increase low-light sensitivity. Double cones, though present in most ]s are absent from catfish.<ref name="Douglas">{{cite journal|last=Douglas|first=Ron H.|coauthors=Collin, Shaun P.; Corrigan, Julie|year=2002|url=http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/205/22/3425|title=The eyes of suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae, subfamily Hypostomus): pupil response, lenticular longitudinal spherical aberration and retinal topography|publisher=The Journal of Experimental Biology|volume=205|issue=22|pages=3425–3433|format=]}}</ref>

The anatomical organization of the ] in catfish is variable among the families of catfish, but the majority of them present fringed testis: Ictaluridae, Claridae, Auchenipteridae, Doradidae, Pimelodidae, and Pseudopimelodidae.<ref name="Barros"/> In the testes of some species of Siluriformes, organs and structures such as a spermatogenic cranial region and a secretory caudal region are observed, in addition to the presence of seminal vesicles in the caudal region.<ref name="Brito"/> The total number of fringes and their length are different in the ] and ] portions between species.<ref name="Barros">{{cite journal|url=http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbzool/v24n1/28.pdf|title=Reproductive apparatus and gametogenesis of ''Lophiosilurus alexandri'' Steindachner (Pisces, Teleostei, Siluriformes)|first=Marcelo D. M.|last=Barros|coauthors=Guimarães-Cruz, Rodrigo J.; Veloso-Júnior, Vanderlei C.; Santos, José E. dos|journal=Revista Brasileira de Zoologia|volume=24|issue=1|pages=213–221|year=2007|format=]|doi=10.1590/S0101-81752007000100028}}</ref> Fringes of the caudal region may present tubules, in which the lumen is filled by secretion and ].<ref name="Barros"/> Spermatocysts are formed from cytoplasmic extensions of ]s; the release of spermatozoa is allowed by breaking of the cyst walls.<ref name="Barros"/>

The occurrence of ]s, in spite of their interspecific variability in size, gross morphology and function, has not been related to the mode of fertilization. They are typically paired, multi-chambered, and connected with the ], and have been reported to play a glandular and a storage function. Seminal vesicle secretion may include ]s and steroid glucuronides, with hormonal and pheromonal functions, but it appears to be primarily constituted of mucoproteins, acid mucopolysaccharides, and phospolipids.<ref name="Mazzoldi"/>

Fish ovaries may be of two types: ] or ]. In the first type, the oocytes are released directly into the ]ic cavity and then eliminated. In the second type, the oocytes are conveyed to the exterior through the ].<ref name="Brito"/> Many catfish are cystovarian in type, including '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.<ref name="Barros"/><ref name="Brito">{{cite journal|url=http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-09352003000500018|title=Reproduction of the surubim catfish (Pisces, Pimelodidae) in the São Francisco River, Pirapora Region, Minas Gerais, Brazil|last=Brito|first=M.F.G.|coauthors=Bazzoli, N.|journal=Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia|volume=55|issue=5|year=2003|id=ISSN: 0102-0935|doi=10.1590/S0102-09352003000500018}}</ref>

==Catfish as food==
{{commercial fish topics}}
].]]
Catfish have been widely caught and farmed for food for hundreds of years in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Judgments as to the quality and flavor vary, with some food critics considering catfish as being excellent food, others dismiss them as watery and lacking in flavour.<ref name=Baker>Jenny Baker (1988), ''Simply Fish'' p 36-37. Faver & Faber, London.</ref> In ], catfish were often viewed as a delicacy to be enjoyed on feast days and holidays. Migrants from Europe and Africa to the United States brought along this tradition, and in the ] catfish is an extremely popular food. The most commonly eaten species in the United States are the ] and ], both of which are common in the wild and increasingly widely farmed. Catfish is eaten in a variety of ways; in Europe it is often cooked in similar ways to ], but in the United States it is typically crumbed with ] and fried.<ref name=Baker/> In ] catfish is a very popular food. They are usually served grilled in street stalls called ] and eaten with vegetables, the dish is called ''Pecel Lele'' (''Lele'' is the ]n word for catfish). In ] catfish is called "Ikan Keli" ikan is referred to as fish, ikan keli is also usually fried added with spices according to preferences and is often eaten with steamed rice. The ] is a common food fish in parts of Asia.{{fact|date=July 2007}} Vietnamese catfish cannot be legally marketed as catfish in the US, and is subsequently referred to as swai.<ref name = FactSwai>{{cite web|url=http://www.unionfishco.com/swai/details.htm|title=Union Fish Company - Basa/Swai Details|accessdate=2007-11-11 }}</ref>
Catfish is also high in ].<ref name = FactD>{{cite web|url=http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/conditions/osteoporosis/vitd.htm|title=Vitamin D and Healthy Bones|publisher=New York State Department of Health|accessdate=2007-07-13 }}</ref> Seeing as catfish lack scales, they are judged to not be ] and cannot be eaten by observant Jews.

==Aquaculture==
{{Main|Farm-Raised Catfish}}
Catfish are easy to farm in warm climates, leading to inexpensive and safe food at local grocers. ] are cultivated in ] (especially in the ], with ] being the largest domestic catfish producer).<ref>{{Cite paper | author= J.E. Morris| title= Pond Culture of Channel Catfish in the North Central Region | publisher= North Central Regional Aquaculture Center| date= October 1993| url= http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/NCR444.pdf| accessdate= 2006-06-28}}</ref> ] (''Ictalurus punctatus'') supports a $450 million/yr aquaculture industry.<ref name=tol/> In ], ], an ] ], in 1970 converted a 1,100-acre ] ] into catfish ponds to raise fish on a mass scale for sale and consumption.<ref>http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/OBITUARIES/80816018/1023</ref>

Catfish raised in inland tanks or channels are considered safe for the environment, since their waste and disease should be contained and not spread to the wild.<ref>{{cite website | first = Paul | last = Rogers | title = Economy of Scales | work = Stanford Magazine | publisher = ] | issue = March / April 2006 | url = http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2006/marapr/features/fishfarming.html | accessdate = 2008-02-14}}</ref>

In Asia, many catfish species are important as food. Several ] (Clariidae) and ] (Pangasiidae) species are heavily cultured in ] and ]. Exports of one particular shark catfish species from ], '']'', has met with pressures from the U.S. catfish industry. In 2003, The ] passed a law preventing the imported fish from being labeled as catfish.<ref>http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-catfish28nov28,0,6595048.story?coll=la-home-business L.A. Times, "'Catfish' bred in Asia move up on U.S. food chain", 28 November 2006</ref> As a result, the Vietnamese exporters of this fish now label their products sold in the U.S. as "basa fish." Trader Joe's has labeled frozen fillets of Vietnamese ] as "striper."<ref></ref>

There is a large and growing ornamental fish trade, with hundreds of species of catfish, such as '']'' and ] (often called ]s), being a popular component of many ]. Other catfish commonly found in the aquarium trade are ], ], and ].

==Catfish as invasive species==
] is an ] in Florida.]]
Representatives of the ] ''Ictalurus'' have been misguidedly introduced into European waters in the hope of obtaining a sporting and food resource. However, the European stock of American catfishes has not achieved the dimensions of these fishes in their native waters, and have only increased the ecological pressure on native European ]. ] have also been introduced in the freshwaters of Florida, with the voracious catfish becoming a major alien pest there. ], ''Pylodictis olivaris'', is also a North American pest on Atlantic slope drainages.<ref name=tol/> '']'' species, released by aquarium fishkeepers, have also established ] populations in many warm waters around the world.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The South American Suckermouth Armored Catfish, ''Pterygoplichthys anisitsi'' (Pisces: Loricaridae), in Texas, with Comments on Foreign Fish Introductions in the American Southwest|first=Leo G.|last=Nico|coauthors=Martin, R. Trent|journal=The Southwestern Naturalist|volume=46|issue=1|month=March | year=2001|pages=98–104|doi=10.2307/3672381}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Amazon Sailfin Catfish, ''Pterygoplichthys pardalis'' (Castelnau, 1855) (Loricariidae), Another Exotic Species Established in Southeastern Mexico|first=Armando T.|last=Wakida-Kusunokia|coauthors=Ruiz-Carusb, Ramon; Amador-del-Angelc, Enrique|journal=The Southwestern Naturalist|pages=141–144|volume=52|issue=1|month=March | doi=10.1894/0038-4909(2007)522.0.CO;2|year=2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/zt01109p068.pdf|title=New Philippine record of South American sailfin catfishes (Pisces: Loricariidae)|first=Joel M.|last=Chavez|coauthors=de la Paz, Reynaldo M.; Manohar, Surya Krishna; Pagulayan, Roberto C.; Carandang Vi, Jose R.|journal=]|volume=1109|pages=57–68|year=2006|format=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://academic.uprm.edu/publications/cjs/VOL30/P090-094.PDF|title=The South American Sailfin Armored Catfish, ''Liposarcus multiradiatus'' (Hancock), a New Exotic Established in Puerto Rican Fresh Waters|first=Lucy|last=Bunkley-Williams|coauthors=Williams, Ernest H., Jr.; Lilystrom, Craig G.; Corujo-Flores, Iris; Zerbi, Alfonso J.; Aliaume, Catherine; Churchill, Timothy N.|journal=Caribbean Journal of Science|volume=30|issue=1-2|pages=90–94|year=1994|format=]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|url=http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/44.2/252.pdf|journal=Zoological Studies|volume=44|issue=2|pages=252–259|year=2005|title=Size Structure, Reproductive Phenology, and Sex Ratio of an Exotic Armored Catfish (''Liposarcus multiradiatus'') in the Kaoping River of Southern Taiwan|first=Shih-Hsiung|last=Liang|coauthors=Wu, Hsiao-Ping; Shieh, Bao-Sen|format=]}}</ref>

==References==
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==External links==
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{{Actinopterygii}}

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Revision as of 20:11, 11 February 2009

Catfish are bottom feeding fish that live all over the world. They breed but eggs can only hatch in running water.There are 36 species of catfish.