How Many Species of Catfish Are There? A Comprehensive Overview of Common Varieties

Catfishis also called bearded fish or pond catfish, and is a common type of fish. Catfish has no scales on its entire body, few bones, and tender flesh. It is rich in fat and protein and has high nutritional value, making it deeply loved by people. There are many catfish varieties on the market, so how many species of catfish are there? Let's find out below.

1. Eight-whisker catfish

The eight-whisker catfish is named for having 4 fish whiskers on each side of its mouth. Its head is flat and broad, its tail is laterally compressed, its mouth is large and its eyes are small, its lower jaw protrudes somewhat, and its teeth are fine. It likes to eat meat, such as small crucian carp, white strip fish, and ground-dwelling gobies. Larger ones may also eat carp. Its teeth are very sharp. It mainly lives in reservoirs and large wild river channels, rarely comes out during the day, and hides under mud or stones. It generally forages at night and is very afraid of light.

2. Two-whisker catfish

The two-whisker catfish, also called native catfish, is the local catfish. This catfish has an elongated body and is laterally compressed starting behind the gills. Its head is flat, its mouth is large, and as an adult it has two large whiskers, one on each side. The two-whisker catfish likes slow water and still water, is not especially active, and generally spawns from April to June. Catfish have especially large amounts of mucus and no scales.

3. Big-mouth catfish

It is distributed in most parts of our country and often inhabits large water surfaces such as major rivers and lakes. It is an aggressive carnivorous fish. Its body color varies with the water environment. It likes to eat animal offal, meat, small fish, small shrimp, and various insects and small aquatic animals. It has omnivorous feeding habits and strong disease resistance, and its flesh is tender and delicious, so its farming benefits are high and its economic value is relatively high. It is also farmed on a certain scale in many regions of our country.

4. European six-whisker catfish

Its scientific name is the six-whisker catfish. It has a long body without scales, an astonishingly large mouth, and countless sharp teeth, and it is found throughout the large lakes and rivers of Europe. It generally lives at the bottom of the water. When there is noise on the water surface, it quickly comes out to hunt. Where the six-whisker catfish is present, it almost wipes out local fish species. Because food is insufficient, it has also developed the habit of rushing to the shore to attack birds such as pigeons.

5. Mekong giant catfish

It is a giant catfish unique to the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, and the largest catfish ever recorded in the world is this one. In 2005, a Mekong giant catfish caught in northern Thailand was 2.7 m long and weighed 293 kg, making it the largest Mekong giant catfish on record at present. The Mekong giant catfish is herbivorous, has a flat mouth, and is gentle in temperament.

6. Vietnamese catfish

The Vietnamese catfish mainly lives in mountain streams and usually moves among the stone crevices in the streams. It feeds on insects, small shrimp, and small fish. It is relatively small in size and naturally pollution-free. It is widely distributed in the streams of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, and other places, and is an excellent product among catfish.

The above is an introduction to catfish varieties. Catfish has characteristics such as fast growth and omnivorous feeding, and it is artificially farmed in many regions. However, because catfish will feed on carrion, many people do not particularly like to eat it, but the market prices of some catfish varieties are still relatively high.

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