Catfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia, the wels catfish of Eurasia, and the piraíba of South America, to detritivores, and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa. Neither the armour-plated types nor the naked types have scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels or "whiskers". Members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. Many catfish are nocturnal, but others are crepuscular or diurnal.
The walking catfish is a species of freshwater airbreathing catfish native to Southeast Asia. It is named for its ability to "walk" and wiggle across dry land, to find food or suitable environments. While it does not truly walk as most bipeds or quadrupeds do, it has the ability to use its pectoral fins to keep it upright as it makes a wiggling motion with snakelike movements to traverse land. This fish normally lives in slow-moving and often stagnant waters in ponds, swamps, streams, and rivers, as well as in flooded rice paddies, or temporary pools that may dry up. When this happens, its "walking" skill allows the fish to move to other aquatic environments. Considerable taxonomic confusion surrounds this species and it has frequently been confused with other close relatives. One main distinction between the walking catfish and the native North American ictalurid catfish with which it sometimes is confused, is that the walking catfish lacks an adipose fin.
The blue catfish is the largest species of North American catfish, reaching a length of 165 cm (65 in) and a weight of 68 kg (150 lb). The typical length is about 25–46 in (64–117 cm). The fish can live to 20 years. The native distribution of blue catfish is primarily in the Mississippi River drainage, including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas Rivers, The Des Moines River in South Central Iowa, and the Rio Grande, and south along the Gulf Coast to Belize and Guatemala. These large catfish have also been introduced in a number of reservoirs and rivers, notably the Santee Cooper lakes of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie in South Carolina, the James River in Virginia, Powerton Lake in Pekin, Illinois, and Lake Springfield in Springfield, Illinois. This fish is also found in some lakes in Florida. The fish is considered an invasive pest in some areas, particularly the Chesapeake Bay. Blue catfish can tolerate brackish water, thus can colonize along inland waterways of coastal regions.
Clarias is a genus of catfishes of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes. The name is derived from the Greek chlaros, which means lively, in reference to the ability of the fish to live for a long time out of water.
Chaca is the only genus in the catfish family Chacidae. These fish are commonly known as squarehead catfishes, frogmouth catfishes, or angler catfishes. These unusual fish have a sedentary lifestyle and spend much of their time motionless.
Horabagrus brachysoma or the sun catfish is a species of catfish endemic to rivers in the Western Ghats of India. It is known as Günther's catfish or yellow catfish. It is also known as Manjakoori in its native range. It is also known by a host of other names, such as bullseye catfish, golden red tail catfish and solar catfish.
Batasio is a genus of catfish of the family Bagridae. These small fish are found in fast-flowing hillstreams throughout South and mainland Southeast Asia.
Erethistoides is a genus of South Asian river catfishes.
Clarias gariepinus or African sharptooth catfish is a species of catfish of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes.
Cavefish or cave fish is a generic term for fresh and brackish water fish adapted to life in caves and other underground habitats. Related terms are subterranean fish, troglomorphic fish, troglobitic fish, stygobitic fish, phreatic fish and hypogean fish.
The Asian stinging catfish or fossil cat is a species of airsac catfish found in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, and Bhutan.
Erethistoides ascita is a species of South Asian river catfish endemic to Nepal where it is found in the Mechi and Kosi River systems, Ganges drainage and in rivers of lowland plains of southeastern Nepal. This species grows to a length of 3.67 centimetres (1.44 in) SL.
Erethistoides cavatura is a species of South Asian river catfish endemic to Nepal where it is found in the Rapi River system of Narayani River basin. This species grows to a length of 3.32 centimetres (1.31 in) SL.
Erethistoides infuscatus is a species of South Asian river catfish native to India and Bangladesh where it is found in the drainages of the Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers. This species grows to a length of 4.5 centimetres (1.8 in) SL.
Erethistoides montana is a species of South Asian river catfish endemic to India where it can be found in Tripura, Assam and Darjeeling. This species grows to a length of 3.75 centimetres (1.48 in) SL.
Erethistoides senkhiensis is a species of South Asian river catfish endemic to India where it is found in Senkhi stream, Arunachal Pradesh. This species grows to a length of 4.34 centimetres (1.71 in) SL.
Erethistoides longispinis is a species of sisorid catfish from the Irrawaddy River basin in central Myanmar. This species reaches a length of 4.1 cm (1.6 in).
Erethistoides vesculus is a species of sisorid catfish from the Ann Chaung River basin in western Myanmar. This species reaches a length of 2.9 cm (1.1 in).
Erethistoides luteolus is a species of sisorid catfish from the Upper Sittang River basin in central Myanmar. This species reaches a length of 2.6 cm (1.0 in).
Pseudolaguvia shawi is a species of sisorid catfish from waters in Darjeeling, Siliguri Terai and Sikkim in India. This species reaches a length of 3.8 cm (1.5 in).
