Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Catfish

Catfish VarietiesSub-order: Siluroidei

Porthole Shovelnose CatfishPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

Legend has it that one catfish, the giant Manguruyu, Paulicea lutkeni, can reach 3 meters in length and has been held responsible for eating small children in such rivers as the Rio Branco in the Amazon basin."

     Catfish are generally very hardy and easy to keep. They are almost exclusively freshwater fish and they can be found in every ecological niche. Their feeding habits range from plant-eaters to predators. Those catfish that are predatory will eat smaller fish.

For more Information on keeping freshwater fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Catfish: Click on the small images below
for more information about each one.

Armored Catfish - Corydoras Family: Callichthyidae
Corydoras are ideal for every type of aquarist as they are very peaceful and very hardy!
These fish are very active during the day, always bobbing around and eating all manner of food from the bottom of the aquarium, keeping it clean with their scavenging! There are over 180 species of Corydoras known to icthyologists, about 50 are available to the hobby and about 10 are bred commercially. They are found in every river in South America, each with its' own distinct species and subspecies. Most of the fish in the Callichthyidae family require access to the air. They will often swim rapidly to the surface of the water for a gulp of air. This air is a supplement to their gills that is then utilized by being absorbed in their lower digestive tract. Coryadoras always swim in schools of dozens of fish, sometimes they even swim with other species.
Albino Cory	Emerald Green Cory
Corydoras paleatus	Brochis splendens
Julii Cory
Corydoras julii

Banjo Catfish Family: Aspredinidae
The "Banjo Catfishes" have the looks that only a mother could love (which makes them irresistible!)
As their name implies, they have the body shape of a banjo. Banjo Catfish will often seem to be dormant as they don't move around very much. They are often a burrowing fish so a finer sand is appreciated.
Banjo Catfish
Bunocephalus coracoideus

Flat-nosed Catfish - Antenna Catfish Family: Pimelodidae
The attractive catfishes in the family Pimelodidae have been prized by collectors because of the great diversity in both size and patterning!
The Flat-nosed Catfish, or Antenna Catfish have extremely long adipose fins, some as long as a third of their length, and their "whiskers" or barbels are also unusually long. Though they are mostly peaceful, these catfish have large mouths and can swallow a good sized fish. Be careful that the tankmates you choose are not much smaller than your catfish!
Four-lined Pimodella	Red-tailed Catfish
Pimelodus blochii	Phractocephalus hemioliopterus

Naked Catfish - Upside-Down Catfish Family: Mochicidae
"Naked Catfish" describes the body armor of this group of fish. They have none!
The "Synodontis catfishes" do not have scales, scutes or or any other kind of body protection.  They were originally famous for the first-kept member of the genus Synodontis; the Upside-Down Catfish, Synodontis nigriventis! This fish is not the prettiest member of this group, but it is intriguing because of it's habit of swimming upside down. Contrary to popular belief, most "Synodontus catfishes" do not swim upside down!    Note: In his book AQUARIUM ATLAS, Volume 2, author Hans M. Baensch states that most of the Synodontis Catfish have not been bred in captivity, with the exception of the Upside-Down Catfish, Synodontis nigriventis and possibly the Black Synodontis, Synodontis nigrita. He states that nutrition is very important for the breeding of the Synodontis species and that some of the nutritional substances they get from their natural diet, notably snails and insect larvae, is not provided in available fish foods.
Feather-Fin Synodontis	Large-spot Catfish
Synodontis eupterus	Synodontis ocellifer

Pangasius Catfish - Iridescent Shark Catfish Family: Pangasiidae
The Pangasius Catfish or Iridescent Shark Catfish is sometimes thought of as a pelagic fish. Pelagic catfish are diurnal (active during the day), swim in the middle of the aquarium, and prefer to live in schools. They are found in clean fast moving waters, thus in the aquarium they need good water movement and frequent water changes.
Pangasius Catfish
Pangasius hypophthalmus

Shark Catfish - Sea Catfish Family: Ariidae
The family Ariidae has some pretty large fish, the Silver-tipped Shark for example, can reach up to two feet!
Some species of Shark Catfish or Sea Catfish are used as a food fish, and are considered quite good eating by the natives where they are harvested.
Silver-tipped Shark
Hexanematichthys seemanni

Suckermouth Catfish - Armor-Plated Catfish Family: Loricariidae
Fishes with suckermouths have some special features that other fish don't have!
Author of You & Your Aquarium, Dick Mills, says they have extra slits behind the head to breathe through. This frees up their mouths for for more important duties such as feeding and clinging to surfaces. He also shares that they have an unusual eye feature, an eye flap. This is a flap of skin that protrudes from each eye, allowing them to alter the amount of light that reaches their eyes.
Bristle-nose Catfish	Leopard Pleco
Ancistrus cirrhosus	Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps

Thorny Catfish Family: Doradidae
Be careful when catching Thorny Catfish. A prick from the spines of this fish is quite painful!
Thorny Catfish have a strong first spine on their pectoral fins, which can be used as a defensive weapon. They tend to stick out these side spines a a very rigid manner, especially when stressed.
Spotted Raphael Catfish	Striped Raphael Catfish
Agamyxis pectinifrons	Platydoras costatus

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Description:
     Catfish are found all over the world and belong to a large family of Carp-like fish all of which can be recognized by their characteristic pairs of barbels. They also have a "Webers apparatus" along with other Carp-like fish and Characins. They are different from most other fish since catfish don't have scales, although some catfish have armor or bony plates for protection. Most catfish are also nocturnal, becoming active at night.

Care and feeding:      Because most catfish are nocturnal, they must be fed in the evening hours. Make sure they are eating since it is hard to tell with many of the armored catfish if they are losing weight. Some catfish are predatory, or predaceous, and will eat other fish if they are less than about half their own size.

Breeding:      The few catfish that do live in seawater are thought to spawn in brackish water. See Breeding Freshwater Fish for a more information on reproductive habits.

For more Catfish information... click to buy these books from Amazon.com
Catfish in the Aquarium	Catfish, Keeping & Breeding Them in Captivity	Corydoras Catfish

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