Catfish: description, where it is found, what it eats, types

Catfish fish: description

This is a huge fish, similar in appearance to eels or moray eels, but it is not even their closest relatives. The catfish represents the family of ray-finned fish and the order of perciformes. This fish is found in the waters of the northern hemisphere.

Appearance

It is not for nothing that this species of the family of ray-finned fish was given such a name, since the first thing that catches your eye when you meet it is the large upper fangs, which are noticeable even from the outside of the mouth. Catfish jaws are designed to hold potential prey in a death grip. At the same time, the chewing muscles are quite developed. Adults are so strong that they can easily bite through a fishing hook or the handle of a shovel. Typically, catfish snap shells and shells with their jaws like nuts. In such conditions, the catfish has to replace its teeth once a year. As a rule, this happens in winter, and instead of fallen teeth, new ones grow, which in just a month and a half will be able to fully perform their functions.

This fish has a highly elongated body, which bends when it moves, like the body of a snake. Such maneuverability became possible after catfish lost their pelvic fins. It is believed that the distant ancestors of catfish still had pelvic fins, as evidenced by the body structure of this fish. All catfish species known today have unpaired dorsal and anal fins, as well as huge fan-shaped pectoral fins. The caudal fin is not very developed, which is typical for fish moving slowly in the water column, and is not large in size. Some individuals can grow up to 2 and a half meters in length and weigh about 50 kg.

Behavior and lifestyle

A certain Canadian McDaniel was very frightened when he met a catfish at a depth of 20 meters, and this is not surprising, since its skull is wrinkled, like a rotten fruit, and is gray in color. The entire face of the catfish is so distorted that it resembles a continuous ulcer, while it has huge, swollen lips that occupy almost the entire width of the muzzle. Behind her lips, in her mouth grow large and powerful fangs that almost protrude outward. It seems that the catfish will open its huge mouth and swallow a person in an instant.

All catfish prefer to lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. Therefore, here at the bottom they feed, without much food. During the daytime, catfish stay in their shelters, which are caves, and at nightfall they go hunting. With the onset of cold weather (winter), catfish descend to depths where the temperature regime is more stable.

Interesting fact! Depending on the depths at which the catfish live, the development of the fish is directly proportional. The deeper the catfish live, the slower the growth.

Spotted catfish stick to more upper layers of water in summer compared to winter, but compared to striped catfish, they migrate over significantly longer distances. The common catfish prefers to be among rock crevices, as well as among algae, while it is perfectly camouflaged not only due to its coloring, but also due to the slow movements of its body. With the arrival of winter, when the catfish goes deeper, its camouflage color fades and becomes lighter.

The striped catfish, or sea wolf, as it is also called, quite often uses its fangs to protect itself from both natural enemies and its relatives. Experienced fishermen, if caught, handle catfish very carefully, as they can seriously injure a person.

How long do catfish live?

According to experts, if a catfish manages to avoid getting caught in fishing nets, it can live for about 2 decades.

Interesting fact! The catfish is considered a passive predator because it does not pursue its prey, but attacks it from cover. Therefore, to catch this fish using a spinning rod, you will have to try hard. To do this, it is necessary to unbalance the fish by irritating it. As a rule, catfish are teased by tapping a sinker on a hard surface (on rocks). The fishing method is called “knock fishing.”

Sexual dimorphism

Males are somewhat larger in size and also have a darker body color. In females, the muzzle is more attractive, since there is no swelling around the eyes and their lips are not so massive, and their chin is weakly defined.

CATCH

Types of catfish with photos

In nature, there are 5 species of catfish, with 3 species, such as common catfish, spotted catfish and blue catfish, inhabiting the waters of the North Atlantic, and the remaining 2 species, such as Far Eastern catfish and eel catfish, are found in the northern waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Common catfish

This type of catfish differs from other species by the presence of developed tuberculate teeth. The teeth of the lower jaw are slightly moved back, which makes it possible to effectively crush hard objects, along with the upper jaw. In addition, common or striped catfish are slightly smaller in size compared to spotted and blue catfish. Therefore, they do not grow longer than 1 meter 25 cm, while gaining weight a little more than 20 kg.

Spotted catfish

The spotted catfish is intermediate in characteristics between the striped and blue catfish. The spotted catfish is larger in size than the striped catfish, but is slightly smaller than the blue catfish. At the same time, it can reach a length of about one and a half meters and gains weight within 30 kg. This species has less developed teeth, which are distinguished by a tuberculate shape. Juveniles are painted in wide, black, transverse stripes, from which separate spots are then formed when the fish begins to lead a bottom-dwelling lifestyle.

Blue catfish

This species has the least developed tuberculate teeth, while the vomer row is shorter compared to the palatine rows. Adults grow to more than half a meter and gain weight of more than 30 kg.

It is known that there are individuals reaching a length of at least 2 meters. The color of the blue catfish is more monotonous, closer to darker tones and with barely noticeable spots that do not form obvious stripes.

Far Eastern catfish

This species grows up to 1 meter in length, and maybe a little more. It differs from other species of Atlantic catfish in a slightly larger number of vertebrae, as well as rays in the anal fin. Moreover, this species has fairly strong tuberculate teeth, which allows adult individuals to easily crush fairly durable shells. Juvenile Far Eastern catfish are colored with dark stripes, which are located along, but not across the body. As the fish grows, the stripes begin to break apart into separate spots. After some time, in adult individuals these spots become more and more invisible, and then completely disappear against a dark background.

Eel catfish

This particular type of catfish is classified as a separate species because they differ significantly from other species. The shape of the head and the structure of the teeth are almost the same as those of the Far Eastern catfish. At the same time, the body of the eel-shaped catfish is much longer, especially since it has more than 200 vertebrae, as well as a large number of rays in the dorsal and anal fins.

Adults often grow up to 2 and a half meters in length. Young individuals are distinguished by a unique coloring, consisting of longitudinal stripes, which, as they grow older, turn into spots that retain their color for almost their entire life.

What does catfish look like?

It is quite simple to describe this fish: it has a long, elongated body, slightly flattened on the sides. This sea predator is distinguished by its long dorsal fin, which runs along the entire body: from head to tail. If you count the number of rays in the dorsal fin, it can reach 83 pieces.

Far Eastern catfish (Anarhichas orientalis).

The length of the catfish fish reaches 1 meter, and sometimes more. The maximum length recorded by researchers for this species of fish was 112 centimeters.

The teeth of this species are in the form of tubercles.

The teeth of the Far Eastern catfish resemble tubercles in shape; they are firmly attached to the jaw, which gives this fish the status of one of the most evil predators among its fellows.

Range, habitats

Catfish are marine fish that prefer to live in temperate and cold waters of northern latitudes. They inhabit the continental shelf, adhering to impressive depths and the bottom of the reservoir. The habitat of the striped catfish is widespread:

To the western waters of the Baltic and part of the Arctic Ocean.
To the Faroe and Shetland Islands.
To the northern parts of the Kola Peninsula.
On the coastal waters of Norway, Iceland and Greenland.
To the Motovsky and Kola bays.
To Bear Island.
On the western coast of Spitsbergen.
On the Atlantic coast of North America.

Striped catfish are also found in the Barents and White Seas, mainly near coastlines of considerable depth.

Interesting to know! Spotted catfish are found in the same conditions as common catfish, and much more often in northern waters than in southern ones. Off the coast of Iceland, the number of striped catfish is approximately 20 times greater than that of spotted ones.

Spotted catfish chooses water areas located on the mainland shallows, but it is difficult to find it near the coast and in algae. She prefers to rest at an impressive depth of up to half a kilometer. Blue catfish are found in the same conditions as spotted catfish. Unlike other species, it is more mobile and prefers to be at depths of up to 1 km.

Far Eastern catfish are found in Norton Sound, within the Aleutian and Commander Islands, and Pribilof Island. In addition, it is found within the island of Hokkaido, as well as the eastern coasts of Kamchatka. The eel-like catfish prefers to live in water areas located within the Pacific coast of North America, ranging from California to Alaska (Kodiak Island).

Types of catfish

With its unusual appearance, this fish has managed to earn extraordinary fame for itself and even make its mark in popular culture: for example, in the famous online game World of Warcraft you can find the lava catfish. In reality, of course, this does not exist, but you can find several equally remarkable varieties:

Blue or widow . Found in the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic. You can recognize it by its characteristic blue color with faint spots on the sides. Many people have prejudices against this variety due to the fact that it is difficult to cook: very loose and watery meat - what blue catfish is famous for. Its beneficial properties are approximately the same as those of other species.
Spotted. It lives in the Norwegian, White and Barents Seas, near Iceland, Greenland, and on the east coast of North America. It is distinguished by a variegated skin: the body, back and fins are decorated with dark spots or indistinct stripes. As a food product, it is valued higher than the blue one, since it has denser and easier to prepare meat.
Striped . This variety is found almost everywhere where the previous two are, and is distinguished by its unusual coloring: 9-12 dark, clearly defined stripes run along the bluish, yellowish or brown skin. This variety has high commercial value.
Far Eastern . As the name implies, its habitats stretch along Asia: from Kamchatka to Hokkaido. Also found in the Chukchi Sea and Norton Bay. Outwardly, it is not particularly noticeable, since it has a dark, uniform color.
Acne . A unique representative of catfish, originating from the genus Anarrhichthys. It lives in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean: the Seas of Japan, Bering and Okhotsk, and tries to stay in shallow water. This is an inconspicuous fish with a long eel-like body, active mainly at night.

Catfish diet

Divers identify the location of catfish by the “mountains” of empty shells and shells located at the entrances of the cave. The structure of catfish teeth is designed so that they can easily grind food items enclosed in shells or chitin.

The diet of catfish includes:

Various crustaceans, including lobsters.
Shellfish.
Sea urchins.
Sea stars.
Snails.
Jellyfish.
Fish.

It is important to know! With the help of its powerful fangs, the catfish tears food objects from various surfaces, and with the help of its teeth it crushes them. When the process of changing teeth occurs, catfish either starve or swallow small food items whole if they are not covered with a shell.

Different types of catfish differ in that their gastronomic preferences differ, although not significantly. Striped catfish, for example, although it feeds on fish, eats little and prefers shellfish. Clams are also the best hook bait for catching striped catfish. The spotted catfish has a greater preference for echinoderms, although the rest of the diet is similar.

The Far Eastern catfish is characterized by the fact that it lives in coastal thickets and feeds on echinoderms, mollusks, fish and crustaceans. Blue catfish prefer jellyfish, ctenophores and fish. Other food items, especially shellfish, are present in its diet, but quite rarely. Because of this, blue catfish teeth do not wear out as much as other species, although they also change annually.

Catfish diet

Divers find catfish from stacks of empty shells/shells stacked near underwater caves . Catfish need powerful molars and formidable fangs to grind living creatures clad in calcified armor or chitin.

Favorite food of catfish:

crustaceans, including lobsters;
shellfish;
sea urchins;
sea stars;
snails;
jellyfish;
fish.

This is interesting! With its fangs, the catfish tears off echinoderms, mollusks and crustaceans clinging to it from the bottom, and with its teeth it tears/crushes their shells and shells. When changing teeth, fish starve or chew prey that is not covered by a shell.

Different species of catfish have their own gastronomic preferences: for example, striped catfish have little interest in fish, but love shellfish (which are considered the best bait when fishing with hooks). The tastes of the spotted catfish are similar to the tastes of the striped catfish, except that the former leans less on mollusks, and more on echinoderms (starfish, brittle stars and sea urchins).

The Far Eastern catfish, living in coastal thickets, eats echinoderms, mollusks, fish and crustaceans. The feeding preferences of the blue catfish are limited to jellyfish, ctenophores and fish: other animals (crustaceans, echinoderms and especially mollusks) are very rare in its diet. Thanks to their delicate food, the teeth of blue catfish practically do not wear out, although they change every year.

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Reproduction and offspring

The fight for females in these species occurs once in a lifetime, after which the male remains faithful to his female throughout his life. Males arrange fights and butt heads in the literal sense of the word, while they use their formidable weapons - fangs and teeth. Thanks to fairly thick lips and massive thickenings in the eye area, opponents manage to avoid quite serious injuries. At the same time, there are always a lot of scars, and they remain for life.

Each species of catfish spawns differently. Striped catfish, depending on age, can lay from 600 to 40 thousand eggs, up to 6 mm in diameter. The eggs stick together into a ball and stick to hard surfaces. Males remain near the clutches for some time and protect their future offspring. The eggs develop quite slowly and fry, up to 2 cm in size, appear only in the spring, while the female lays eggs in the winter.

After birth, catfish fry rise closer to the surface, but having reached a size of approximately 7 cm, they return to the bottom again. After this, hardly anyone will see them in the water column.

Important fact! At the initial stages of their development, juveniles feed on zooplankton, but as they grow older they switch to a classic diet.

Spotted catfish, growing up to 1 meter in length and a little more, lay a maximum of 50 thousand eggs, the diameter of which is almost the same as that of other species. The masonry is also formed into balls, but their immersion depth is at least a hundred meters, and also at a considerable distance from the shore. After birth, the fry also first rise to the surface and remain in such conditions much longer than the fry of the striped catfish. After this they sink to the bottom.

The blue catfish, which is slightly larger than the spotted catfish, produces almost 30 thousand eggs of the same size as other species. Moreover, they spawn in spring, autumn or summer. Unfortunately, no one has found clutches of eggs of this species. As a rule, only unfertilized individuals are caught in the nets in the Barents Sea, which is why blue catfish are nicknamed widows. After birth, blue catfish fry remain in the upper layers of water for a long time before sinking to the bottom.

Far Eastern catfish lay eggs in the summer, and after hatching, the fry also rush to the surface layers of the water. Not a large number of fry survive from each clutch, much less survive to sexual maturity.

Reproduction and lifespan

Some sources mention that catfish are monogamous, choosing the same partner every year during the spawning period (from October to February). Puberty begins at 4 years of age when the fish reaches 40-45 cm, which is interesting - females develop a little longer.

During the breeding season, the female is capable of producing up to 30 thousand eggs, up to 7 mm in size. A sticky spherical clutch is formed at the bottom between the stones and is actively guarded by both parents.

In the photo, the catfish is spotted or mottled

Juveniles, up to 25 mm long, appear in the spring and almost immediately rise closer to the surface of the ocean, feeding there on various small animals. Having reached a length of 6-7 cm, small catfish switch to a bottom lifestyle. Average life expectancy is 12 years. Although there are specimens that have reached their 20th birthday.

Commercial value

Blue catfish has fairly watery meat, although it has significant con. As for the striped and spotted ones, they have unique, tasty meat, prepared using any technology. It is fried, boiled, smoked, salted and dried. Catfish caviar tastes like chum salmon caviar, and the liver is a real delicacy.

Important fact! More recently, the heads, fins and skeletons of catfish were fed to livestock, including cows, due to which the fat content of milk increased, and something like soap was made from bile. Nowadays, bags, light shoes, book bindings, etc. are made from the skin of spotted catfish.

The meat of Far Eastern catfish is especially tasty; in addition, the meat is characterized as clean, without a single parasite, which is why it is highly valued on Sakhalin. Catfish is not caught on an industrial scale, but it is practiced by local fishermen.

Fishing. Catching catfish