The fish popularly called Catfish are not really called that. In fact, they are very popular due to their large mustaches, which is why they are known by this nickname. Actually, catfish are from the order Siluriformes.
Therefore, they are really called: beggars, catfish or as they are more popularly known: catfish.
We are going to try to provide some technical data, characteristics, more curious and interesting data to learn a little more and better about this type of cold water fish.
Instructions
- Playback. Speaking of their reproduction in the wild, they are oviparous. The parents take care of the eggs and there are groups that transport and oxygenate the eggs through their mouths or in parts of their bodies (such as the abdominal area, to name a few). Catfish spawn in times of summer. The males prepare the bed between the stones or under wood or whatever they have as a mantle. They lure the females there to lay their eggs.
- Origin: they are native to North America. As for the quantity of this species, more than two thousand species are already counted (although it is difficult to calculate it exactly). They are distributed throughout the world, except as an exception, in Antarctica.
- Body/How are they. The species talking about the Siluriformes (the most characteristic features), the tentacles in the mouth (filamentous barbells is what they are called) and hence, their characteristic to name them as catfish. Regarding their physical characteristics: they have a body with sharp and retractable spines, in the anterior part of the dorsal and pectoral fins. With this, what they do is defend themselves from their predators and in some cases (according to some specific species) they also contain glands in the spines that are poisonous. Not all catfish species contain spines. Over the years and their evolution, they have been losing them in some of their species.
- Filamentary barbells: they are always on the sides of the mouth or in the lower part of the mouth (in some cases they can also be seen in the area of the nostrils). What are these filaments for? It is your sensory organ. Through them, they can easily recognize food and feed themselves.
- Its diet: its diet is quite varied… depending on the type of specific species (group to which it belongs) and its habitat, its diet varies. On the one hand, there is a species where they are practically herbivorous fish. There is another that they prefer to feed on small invertebrates, those that only eat fish and also those that feed on zooplankton.
- Environment. These fish prefer to spend most of their time at the bottom of the water; preferably they have nocturnal habits and customs. There is a species that does the opposite. The Laired species (the best known are the Corridors). They prefer diurnal customs. Their life is during the day, unlike the other species.
- Catfish in a fish tank: if you include them in your aquarium, you know that they help eliminate bacteria and keep the water clean.
- Curiosities: They have hard skin, they do not have scales and depending on the type of species, they have dermal plates as a shield. According to the evolution of the species layer…
- They are serene and calm fish.
- When you buy catfish, they will surely recommend that you also buy neon fish.
What do you need:
If you want to include catfish, you should know what you need, what care they require, how to care for them and how the fish are born.
Why include a catfish in a fish tank? Because they are the ideal fish to clean the bottom of the aquarium.
In pet stores, when you go to buy them, you will see that they will be listed as pool cleaners or they will recommend them to you. What these fish do is feed themselves by eating the rest of the food from other fish that have been falling to the ground. Therefore, they clean the water and the bottom of the fish tank.
As there are many species of catfish, whoever likes them and wants to acquire them for their aquarium will have no problem. Simply, you need to know what needs each one has and which ones you are looking for. We will try for our part, give you some guidelines and describe only some of them. In any case, always ask for advice in the store and get advice there, on the spot.
The first things you will need to consider are the measurements of your fish tank. That’s basic. If you have a rather small fish tank, the most recommended are the calíctidos.
These are the most suitable since they are small and do not usually grow much. They are very active fish and usually live at the bottom of the tank most of the time.
The most common or the most used in aquariums are those of the Corridors genus. They are perhaps more commonly known as the pool cleaners. They easily adapt to their environment, maintenance is easy and straightforward, and they are generally active all day.
Another species that is also much indicated, but in cases of large aquariums, are the places (Plecostomus). They are freshwater; they are beautiful and striking fish. They get along well with other species in the aquarium.
The ones that look like sharks (much admired and conspicuous) are from the family Pangasiidae. The most common, the Pang Asian shark or the Malayan shark. Always, we repeat, with large aquariums. These fish grow and need to be able to move and have ample space.
Another very striking species that is reminiscent of bees due to its colorful stripes, in black and orange are from the Pseudopimelodidae family.
The red-tailed catfish is very beautiful, eye-catching and coveted by aquarium owners.
Catfish can even eat everyday food. Some examples without going any further: peas, beans and zucchini (all vegetables). They can also feed on other insects. Such as mosquito larvae, snails and even, they can eat wood chips.
How to include this in your diet? If you want to make your own breeding at home… Always ask the store where you buy them; they will give you the perfect guidelines there. But even so, in a similar way, we will say that you can give them during the first days of the fish (five days for example) a leaf of lettuce. When they grow up and know how to swim and move in a relaxed way, they can then be given shrimp and worms to eat.
When they have grown and for six months or so, you can add more food. Insects, tadpoles, leeches, crustaceans, etc.
Tips
- Catfish can get out of the water. They only cover short distances, but can get out of the water and onto dry land with no problem.
- The species, for example, Demurral, can move to sink only to a depth of one meter.
- They always prefer waters that are tropical and sweet. But they can also survive in brackish water.
- The species of catfish (Clarkias batrachus) lives at shallow depths, preferably in marshy areas, ponds, rivers, rice fields, etc. Almost always where there are stagnant waters with mud.
- It is a postmodern species. That is, if the case arises, they migrate to change to fresh water.
- Catfish can parasitize other fish. They do this by lepidophagy (they eat fish with scales) and by hematophagy.
