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Catfish are a group of bottom-feeding fish that are found in freshwater habitats and coastal regions on and around every continent in the world with the exception of Antarctica. Catfish are most easily identified by their flattened broad heads and the long whisker-like barbels that protrude from the mouth of the catfish.

The long barbels of the catfish contain the taste buds of the catfish and so are often most commonly used for smelling and therefore sensing what is about to eat (and to hide from) in the surrounding waters. Despite the name however, not all catfish species have prominent whisker-like barbels.

There are nearly 3,000 known species of catfish in the world but it is thought that the actual number of catfish species could be as high as 4,500 as many species of catfish are found in areas where there is little or no human contact. Although catfish can generally be found in faster-flowing rivers and streams, some catfish species have adapted to living in shallow salt-water environments while other catfish species live their lives in caves underground.

The average catfish is around a meter in length usually slightly less depending on the species. Catfish however can range in size from just a centimetre in length to more than two meters long. The largest species of catfish is the Mekong catfish, which is found inhabiting parts of the Mekong river that flows through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The largest Mekong catfish ever found measured nearly 3 meters in length.

Catfish generally have a carnivorous diet, although the tiny catfish species have been known to ingest small aquatic plants. Catfish tend to feed on fish, insects and worms that dwell close to the river bed, along with amphibians such as frogs and newts and occasionally small reptiles and mammals.

Due to the wide diversity and range of the catfish, the catfish has numerous predators all around the world. Large fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and even birds all prey on the 3,000 different catfish species.

Female catfish spawn (lay their eggs) close to the surface of the water where they are safe from other bottom-dwelling aquatic animals. Female catfish lay between 10 and 90 little eggs at a time which hatch in less than a week.

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Catfish Facts

Kingdom: A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....	Animalia
Phylum: A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....	Chordata
Class: A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....	Osteichthyes
Order: A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....	Siluriformes

Scientific Name:	Siluriformes
Origin:	Warm freshwater
Diet:	Carnivore
Size (L):	1cm - 270cm (0.4in - 106in)
Water Type:	Fresh
Optimum pH Level:	6.5 - 8.0
Life Span:	8 - 20 years
Conservation Status: The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...	Threatened

Colour:	Brown, Black, Yellow, White, Tan, Grey
Skin Type:	Scales
Favourite Food:	Fish
Habitat: The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...	Fast-flowing rivers and lakes
Average Clutch Size:	40
Main Prey: When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....	Fish, Frogs, Worms
Predators: When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...	Large Fish, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles
Distinctive Features:	Flat, broad head and whiskers