Page 187 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

WELS CATFISH 187

Comparisons

Wels catfish may have a massively extended anal fin, but eel-tail
catfish (Plotosus lineatus) have an even more dramatic body shape.
As their name suggests, the back end of these torpedo-shaped fish is
elongated in an eel-like fashion. Eel-tails are found in coastal regions
of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific, from Japan to Australia.
Wels are more common in central, southern and eastern
European waters.
Eel-tail catfish

European catfish

which then circled him and tried to take a bite, so the house the fishes’ taste buds and are used to help them
answer seems to be a definite yes! search for food in murky waters.They’re proficient hunters
and, with the help of barbels, rarely miss a tasty treat.
Weird ‘whiskers’ When a hungry catfish senses prey nearby, it instantly goes
Lying in wait for prey at the bottom of a foliage-clogged to work. Using the pectoral fins to create a disorienting
pond would seem to be a poor hunting tactic. but wels eddy around the victim, it uses its gaping mouth to suck in
catfish have a secret weapon. prey, which is often swallowed whole.
Those odd, slender ‘whiskers’ near the fish’s mouth are
one of the reasons that this species are known as ‘catfish’.
The other is that they tend to make a buzzing or croaking Wels catfish habitats
sound when caught, which is said to sound like a cat’s
purr. However, these whiskers aren’t like anything that a
cat has! They’re actually highly receptive sensory organs,
known as barbels. Fish that have barbels include catfish,
carp, goatfish and sturgeon, as well as some types of shark.
It’s such a distinctive feature that anglers often refer to this
whole group as ‘barbel’ fish.
These sensitive extensions come in different sizes and are
located in different places on different fish.Those at either
side of the mouth, which look most like whiskers, are
known as maxillary barbels. Nasal barbels extend from the
nostrils, while mandibular barbels are located on the chin.
Wels catfish have two long, highly mobile barbels, which
protrude from just under the eyes.These are reinforced
with cartilage, which is a type of stiff but flexible
connective tissue.Two smaller pairs of immobile barbels
are positioned under the chin.These weird structures

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.