About the Feeding Habits of Catfish
Catfish grow to legendary sizes, inspiring eerie stories of intimidating monster catfish lurking at the base of the world's deepest dam, Parker Dam, California. But, stranger still are the stories of a giant catfish named Kuno who reportedly once ate a German Dachshund. Did this infamous catfish's diet really include canine, or was this an urban legend?
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Identification
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Catfish is the name given to a group of fish whose whiskers resemble a cat's. There are over 2,000 species of catfish, many having two to four pairs of whiskers which are called barbels. Unlike many other fish, the catfish has no scales, yet some species do have sharp spines near their gills and on their backs. The catfish eats aquatic organisms, including insect, frogs and smaller fish.
Types
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Odd and intriguing are some species of catfish. One is named for how it swims; the upside-down catfish. Another type can emit an electric shock, it is the electric catfish. Another is a vampire-ish catfish that dines on blood. The candiru catfish has sharp spines, and when it swims into the gills of larger fish, the spines tear the larger fish's gills. The candiru then drinks his victim's blood. The walking catfish will move overland, from one body of water to another, and will frequently come on shore in the evening to find food. When reproducing, some ocean catfish males carry the eggs in their mouth. During this time they do not feed, and wait until after the eggs have hatched to eat.
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Geography
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Catfish can be found living in both freshwater and the ocean. Freshwater catfish typically live in ponds, lakes or slow moving streams. Yet some types, such as the channel catfish, inhabit rapid flowing bodies of water. The walking catfish can be found in Asia. North America has about 45 native species of catfish, including the channel catfish, flathead catfish, madtoms and bullhead catfish.
Size
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Sizes vary greatly between the different species of catfish. The European catfish is one of the largest growing species, which can grow more than ten feet in length and can exceed 400 pounds. The glass catfish grows to about four inches in length and is often sold for use in home aquariums. The larger species of catfish will eat smaller fish and water fowl.
Theories/Speculation
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Large catfish have been known to eat ducks and other birds. But do they also eat dogs? In Germany it was reported a catfish jumped from the water in 2001 and ate a dachshund puppy whole. The catfish, named Kuno, washed up on shore several years later. It weighed 77 pounds and was five foot long. There have been other reports of large catfish eating small dogs, but there is speculation of their validity. The Mekong is called the "dog-eating catfish," as fishermen once used dog flesh to bait their hook.
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