try { The Wels catfish is hailed as a prized sport fish in Western Europe and is easily identifiable due to its scale-less body, wide mouth, and a broad flat head. _g1.setAttribute('src', _g1.getAttribute('data-src') ); Walden Pond is an excellent fishing spot for catching bass, bluegill, chain pickerel. They love to feed on invertebrates, worms, and crayfish, as they grow larger; their diet usually includes other fish species including other types of catfish. Images are copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-img'); The catfish population is very diverse with almost 3000 species known to date. Fish range from 1 pound to over 60 pounds. For an excellent introduction / overview, check out this article, failing all that, try the glossary. Striped bass is our most sought-after species, providing great sport through catch and release fishing and great eating when you catch a “keeper”. The pictus catfish have a forked tail, a downturned mouth, and sharp spines on their dorsal and they sport a beautiful silver color with black spots and stripes. However, their skin is often a mixture of yellow and olive brown with pale yellow or cream-colored undersides and light brown to pale yellow backsides. Glass Catfish are so named because of their completely transparent bodies. The walking catfish is native to Asia, common in ponds and freshwater fish farms from Pakistan to the Philippines. Most of the catfish species contain four pairs of barbels on the head and two on the chin with one maxillary and one nasal. Please donate to our monthly hosting costs and keep us free for everyone to enjoy!Explore our YouTube channel, Facebook page or follow us on Twitter. There are numerous records of the largest and the heaviest catfish being caught in various parts of the worlds however, all those pale in comparison to the one caught in northern Thailand on May 1, 2005. The flathead catfish, as the name obviously suggests, have very flattened and broadheads that often resemble a shovel. They typically sport a light-brown colored body with this spotted appearance. They also have a preference for bait with strong and distinct scents. Their natural habitats include Brazil, part of the Amazon River in Peru, the Orinoco river basin in Columbia and the Parnaíba River basins. The entire species of flathead catfish seem to follow a general rule according to which they only prey on live fish, which doesn’t make them opportunistic feeders or predators like the blue. An interesting feature of this species is that their skin color changes with the environment so clear water give them a black appearance while muddy water turns them into a greenish-brown color. Majority of catfish are dull-colored, however, some species belonging to the North American streams are believed to sport brightly colored patterns and designs. if ( localStorage.getItem(skinItemId ) ) { They are native to South America and are further widely distributed throughout the lowlands that extend from northern Venezuela to northern Argentina. “Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries reported that the Massachusetts shellfish aquaculture industry generated more than $6.2 million in 2006. They also have whiskers-like barbels on each side of their mouth and if they are cared for, and looked after properly, they live up to an average of 20 years. They have three pairs of barbels, large eyes, the characteristic forked tail and also a large adipose fin. Cory Catfish. They have the advantage of a clear, night vision because their eyes have a tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue in the eyes of many vertebrates that allows an increased amount of light on the photoreceptors of the eyes. Since they are omnivorous, they prefer eating insects, vegetables, bloodworms, and prepared fish foods. These waterbodies consistently produce trophy-sized catfish and bullhead. try { _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-mobile-inverted-source'); Flathead is commonly found to be yellow in color which is why one of their common names is “yellow cat”. They are the number one fish sought after by charter boats North of Cape Cod. _g1 = document.getElementById('g1-logo-inverted-source'); These catfish species grow up to a total length of 5 meter which is 16 feet and contains a maximum weight of more than 300 kg which is approximately 660 lb. the body of the Chinese algae eater sports a beautiful golden color with a series of dark spots and a darker colored band that goes over the length of its body. Channel catfish have a huge preference for crawfish, worms and bait fish which is also how they are usually caught. catfish. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); © 1996 - 2020 PlanetCatfish.com, part of the Aquatic Republic Network group of websites. It also has laterally-spaced, large eyes and curved spines along its lateral line. Bumblebee catfish grow to an average length of 8cm and can manage to live for a period of 3-5 years given that they are kept in ideal growing conditions. Since they are a highly delicate fish species, looking after them and caring for them can be tricky business. They are typically found in gray, brown and green colors, often with yellow or white spots on various parts of their body. These species are quite popular in the United States mainly because of two reasons. Have you picked your favorite yet? What’s The Difference Between Fog and Clouds? } South American catfishes (Everything else), Please donate to our monthly hosting costs. White Catfish: 9: 3: 26: Baddacook Pond, Groton: Michael Payne: 1987: White Perch: 3: 8: 18: Wachusett Reservoir: Val Percuoco: 2016: Yellow Perch: 2: … Catfish normally vary in size with smallest species ranging from 4-5 centimeters in length while the largest and the heaviest of catfish species extending to 4.5 meters or 15 feet in length and weighing about 300 kilograms. These features and qualities also make them one of the most popular picks among most beginners and aquarium owners. However, it is still believed that the Mekong giant catfish has the ability to grow even longer and heavier. } The descending order of this list loosely corresponds to the availability of the species. While many catfish are very hardy and can handle a wide range of water parameters and temperatures, most tropical catfish species will do best in a temperature range of 75F (25C) to 82F (27C).