Editing Category:Catfish

Catfish (order '''[[Siluriformes]]''') are a diverse group of ray-finned fish with over 2,700 species known. Named for their prominent [[barbels]], which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behaviour from the heaviest, the [[Mekong Giant Catfish]] from Southeast Asia and the longest, the [[Wels Catfish]] of Eurasia, to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the Candiru, ''[[Vandellia cirrhosa]]''. There are armour-plated types and also naked types, neither having scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels; members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus [[Corydoras]], are important in the aquarium hobby.

Catfish (order '''[[Siluriformes]]''') are a diverse group of ray-finned fish with over 2,700 species known. Named for their prominent [[barbels]], which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behaviour from the heaviest, the [[Mekong Giant Catfish]] from Southeast Asia and the longest, the [[Wels Catfish]] of Eurasia, to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the Candiru, ''[[Vandellia cirrhosa]]''. There are armour-plated types and also naked types, neither having scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels; members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus [[Corydoras]], are important in the aquarium hobby.