Catfish By Evelyn Tsoulos

What do catfish eat? Young catfish eat worms and other small invertebrates. Bullheads and Channel Cats search for live food as well but will not pass up a dead or decaying fish lying near the bottom of the lake or stream. Channel Cats and Bullheads also catch and eat fish, frogs, crayfish and clams.

How many body parts. The main external features of the fish, the fins, are composed of either bony or soft spines called rays The body of a fish is divided into a head, trunk and tail.

What do they look like?

Why do they have whiskers? To help them find food Unlike cats and dogs, whose whiskers are made of hair, catfish have special whisker-like feelers made of skin. These sensitive feelers are called “barbels." Each barbel is loaded with tiny taste buds that helps smell fish.

Where do catfish live? Catfish can live in both fresh and salt water and brackish water yet they are generally found in freshwater environments. Catfish are found in many bodies of water such as lakes, reservoirs and ponds and also in areas of moving water such as streams, creeks and rivers.