Catfish, Big and Small

There are nearly 2 ,900 species of catfish in existence today, most inhabiting freshwater environments. Distributed almost worldwide, catfis h are bottom dwellers who share some important characteristics. You won't find catfish covered in scales -- most are smooth-fleshed although some do have bony plates across their bodies.

At maturity, catfish come in a wide range of sizes. Some little guys can be as tiny as 1 1/2 to 2 inches long (that's about 4 to 5 centimeters) [source: Encyclopedia Britannica]. Others can grow to absolutely mammoth sizes; they're definitely contenders for the title of world's largest freshwater fish. But while there are species of catfish around the globe that can grow to extraordinary lengths, only one can claim the heavyweight crown -- the Mekong giant catfish. The largest ever officially recorded was about 8 feet 9 inches long and just a sliver under 646 pounds (that's 2.7 meters long and 293 kilograms for the metric folks)    Read more...

Will blog the Mekong Giant Catfish next. Poocher

View the Prairie Pooch Hole blog here...