Catfish is a large freshwater fish of the catfish family. Scientific name: common catfish or European catfish, Latin name: Silurus glanis. Catfish is the largest in size and weight among our freshwater fish; it can reach a weight of 300-400 kg. Inhabits rivers and lakes in Europe and the European part of Russia. Catfish prefer to spend most of their time at depth, near the bottom. At the bottom of the reservoir he finds a deep hole and settles in it. The catfish does not like to swim far from its hole; it spends most of its time in it. During the daytime, the catfish lies down in its hole, rests and digests food, and as soon as darkness falls it goes hunting. Catfish feed on fish, frogs, crayfish and mollusks. Catfish is a desirable trophy for many anglers. You can catch catfish in different ways: with a donk, with a girder, with a quok, with a spinning rod and by trolling. Catfish meat has high taste, it is tender and fatty. Catfish can be fried, cooked into fish soup, made into pies, cutlets, salted, dried, baked and stewed. Let's tell you more about this interesting fish.
Composition of catfish meat
The pulp of catfish is airy, soft, almost boneless. Contains many vitamins, including: A, group B, E, PP and C. Minerals include: calcium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, a lot of iodine, cobalt and many others. etc. (almost the entire periodic table!). This composition makes catfish very valuable. Its benefits to human health are difficult to overestimate. But there is practically no harm from eating the product.
Important! Catfish meat contains a huge amount of amino acids, especially lysine. Therefore, 200 grams of this product can replace a person’s daily intake of animal protein.
Where does catfish live?
Photo: Catfish in the river
Found in most of Europe, including all of European Russia.
Catfish are found in the basins of such rivers as:
- Rhine;
- Loire;
- Seine;
- Ebro;
- Vistula;
- Danube;
- Dnieper;
- Volga;
- Kuban.
That is, the common catfish is distributed throughout almost all of Europe, with the exception of the lands adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, namely most of the Iberian and Apennine peninsulas, Croatia, Greece, and almost all of Scandinavia.
Previously, it was not found at all in the Pyrenees and Apennines, but was introduced back in the 19th century into the basins of the Ebro and Po rivers, where it successfully reproduced. The same practice was used in many other cases, for example, catfish were not previously found in the rivers of France, the Netherlands and Belgium, Denmark - but after being introduced they took root in them.
Outside of Europe, they are found in the northern part of Asia Minor and Iran, as well as in Central Asia - the Amu Darya and Syr Darya basins. In Soviet times, catfish were released into Lake Balkhash, and they now thrive both in the lake itself and in the rivers of its basin.
Catfish are very fond of large, deep rivers and reach especially large sizes in them. Many large catfish are caught in the Volga and Ebro. They prefer warm waters, which is why they are not found in the rivers of the Northern Ocean basin east of the Urals. Although they usually live in fresh water, they are also capable of living in salt water - for example, in the Black Sea off the coast of Turkey, in the Baltic and Caspian seas.
All this applies to the common catfish, other representatives of this genus are also common in Asia to the east - for example, the Amur catfish lives in the rivers of China, Korea and Japan, and loves the Amur most of all, other species are found in South America, India, on the islands of Indonesia, and Africa.
Ordinary catfish live at the very bottom of the reservoir; they usually find a quiet place - a hole between snags, and settle there. They do not swim far from their favorite hole even during the hunt, but spend a significant part of the time right there. They rarely change their habitat and can even spend their entire lives in one place.
A change can be prompted by a lack of nutrition - then the catfish swims to where there is more prey, or by cloudiness of the water - they are very picky about its purity. Therefore, if the water becomes cloudy during floods, the catfish may go in search of a new place to live.
Now you know where catfish live. Let's see what the big fish eat.
Calorie content and nutritional value of catfish
The product contains: proteins - 17.2 grams, fats - 5.1 g per 100 g of product. But there are no carbohydrates, which makes it very useful for consumption during various diets. The nutritional value of the fish is high. Since catfish contains only 2% connective tissue, it is easily absorbed by the body after cooking. This is very important for young children, teenagers and the elderly. As for calorie content, it depends on the type of heat treatment.
| Processing type | Calorie content of catfish per 100 grams (in kcal) |
| Boiled | 196 |
| Dried | 115 |
| Fried | 217,7 |
| Baked in the oven | 113,24 |
| Steamed | 127,26 |
| Grilled on skewers | 115 |
| Grilled | 137,51 |
| Salty | 241,5 |
| Dried | 223 |
| Stewed | 118,8 |
Based on the data provided, you can easily understand that the healthiest meat is dried, baked, stewed or steamed.
Reproduction
Catfish become sexually mature at the age of 4-5 years. At this age, the weight of the catfish reaches 3 kg, with a length of 60 cm. Spawning of catfish begins when the water temperature reaches 16-18 ° C. Depending on the region, this can occur from early May to early July.
For spawning, catfish choose a place in the coastal zone among aquatic vegetation, with a weak current or its complete absence. In those places where there are a lot of catfish, they chase each other and entangle themselves like snakes, all this is accompanied by splashes and rolling blows heard from a great distance.
Each female catfish is followed by 3-4 males, from which she chooses one. The female chooses a male that matches her in age and size. Then the resulting pair drives away the remaining males and builds a primitive nest in the form of a hole in the ground and remnants of vegetation. Spawning occurs at night or early in the morning. The female lays eggs in the nest and the male remains to guard it. Catfish eggs are large, the diameter of each egg is 2-3 mm, the total number of eggs ranges from 11 to 480 thousand eggs and depends on the size of the female. For every kilogram of the female’s mass there are 30 thousand eggs.
You may be interested in: Spoons for pike
The female catfish leaves immediately after spawning, and the male remains to monitor the nest and drive away other inhabitants of the reservoir from it. Juvenile catfish emerge from the eggs on about 10 days. They are 6-8 mm long, at first they stay in the nest and feed from the yolk sac. After 7-10 days, they begin to swim and look for food, but do not move far from the nest. The male stays close to them all this time and protects them from enemies. Four weeks after hatching from eggs, young catfish disperse from the nest, keeping in groups of several individuals.
Having fulfilled his parental duty, the male, following the female, returns back to his favorite hole.
Useful properties of catfish
The beneficial properties of fish are due to its rich composition. Soma is good not only for healthy people who want to boost their immunity, but also for those who suffer, for example, from gastrointestinal and heart diseases, numerous viral diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and arterial hypertension. Or simply wants to improve the condition of his nervous system, nails or hair. In addition, it was observed that people who regularly consumed catfish were less susceptible to ischemia, strokes, cancer, night blindness and osteoarthritis. Therefore, doctors recommend using it to prevent these diseases.
Important! Fish meat also contains Omega-3 fatty acid, which helps prevent thrombosis and improve blood circulation.
What does catfish eat?
The catfish's diet depends on its age. Catfish fry feed on plankton, leeches, bloodworms, tadpoles, and water beetles. Having reached a length of 4 cm, catfish already become predators and begin to hunt fry of other fish. The older the catfish becomes, the larger the share of fish in its diet. In addition to fish, catfish happily eat frogs, crayfish, and mollusks.
Large catfish are capable of preying on waterfowl, especially if they are wounded or weakened, rodents and other small mammals.
Catfish often feed on carrion that rots and decomposes at the bottom of the reservoir, but as a rule, it constitutes only part of the catfish’s diet. If the prey is too large for the catfish and it cannot eat it right away, the catfish guards it and waits until it decomposes, and then eats it. The catfish's sensitive sense of smell helps it find carrion.
The catfish is able to remember the place where the old fishing net is and constantly check it for the presence of fish entangled in it.
The catfish is voracious, even considering its size; it eats a lot. Catfish are especially voracious in the spring, after a long winter, during which catfish do not feed. The most active feeding of catfish occurs from July to the first half of September, and if the autumn is warm, then until the end of September.
In many countries of the world, many peoples have legends about cannibalistic catfish that attack people, especially children. In the 16th-18th centuries in the Danube they caught catfish in the stomachs of which they found parts of human bodies, bones, rings and parts of clothing, while it remains a mystery whether those who died were victims of catfish during their lifetime or whether the catfish ate already dead people. Most likely, the catfish ate already dead bodies; there are no reliably recorded cases of people being killed by catfish.
The catfish performs an important function in the reservoir, being a kind of orderly; it eats weakened, dead fish, and drowned animals.
Catfish fish for children
The benefits of catfish for a child’s health are also very noticeable. Eating this fish strengthens his bones, promotes better absorption of calcium, and normalizes the amount of nitrogen in the child’s body. But since the meat contains a little more fat than necessary, you can introduce catfish into the baby’s diet only after a year, not earlier. The permissible amount is up to 200 grams, no more than 1-2 times a week.
Lifestyle
In late autumn, before freeze-up, catfish gather in pits in small groups of 5-10 catfish. All winter the catfish is not active and does not feed.
With the onset of spring and the beginning of the flood, catfish, sensing warm water, awaken from their winter sleep, leave their holes and rise up the river, entering flooded floodplains and floodplain lakes. Fishermen call this period in the life of catfishes the spring run of catfishes. A month passes from the moment of awakening from hibernation to spawning. All this time, the catfish feeds intensively, making up for the lack of nutrition in winter and preparing for spawning. After the end of spawning, catfish undergo post-spawning feeding, which lasts from the end of June to September.
Catfish gives the impression of being a large, slow and clumsy fish, but in reality it is an agile and aggressive predator. Catfish hunt at night and can search for their prey near the bottom or rise to the surface for it.
Coming out of its hole at night to hunt, the catfish first walks around its hole in circles, then rises upstream in search of food. A hungry catfish in search of prey can go quite far from its native hole, but by morning it will definitely return to it.
A catfish can swim straight into a school of small fish and, opening its mouth wide, draws them in along with the water. Catfish hunt larger prey, bream or pike perch, from ambush. The color of the catfish's skin blends with the color of the river bottom, so it is difficult for the prey to notice it. When the prey approaches the catfish at a close distance, the catfish suddenly and sharply attacks it, stunning it with a powerful blow of its tail. If the victim managed to dodge and escape from the catfish, the catfish does not pursue it for a long time, as it tries not to waste its energy.
With age, the catfish becomes more and more slow, and it requires more and more food. Large catfish spend more and more time searching for food and it becomes more and more difficult for them to feed themselves. That is why the largest catfish hunt fish less and less and feed more on carrion, frogs and mollusks.
Catfish prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle. The exception is young catfish, which, if there is a lot of food until the age of 3-4 years, can stick together. When they reach this age, catfish need more food, so they cannot feed themselves while staying together and they have to separate, settling in new sections of the river. Each adult catfish must have its own area from which it will feed; it will not tolerate strangers in its area.
Lying in ambush at the bottom, the catfish is able to use its whiskers as bait for catching small fish, depicting a crawling worm with its whiskers, it lures them closer to its mouth.
Catfish can sometimes be seen on the surface of the water, basking in the sun. Catfish float to the surface and lie belly up, exposing their dark, slippery sides to the rays of the sun. There is a popular belief that catfish basking on the surface of the water means inclement weather. Catfish also float to the surface of the water before a thunderstorm; when moving on the surface of the water, a smooth trail is left behind them; the splash created by the catfish differs from the splashes created by other fish and experienced fishermen immediately distinguish it.
Catfish love warmth very much; all species of the Catfish family come from regions with a tropical climate, so catfish stop their active lifestyle early. With the first cooling of the water, in September, catfish go to their wintering grounds. From October-November, depending on the region and water temperature, catfish stop hunting and settle in a hole for the winter. The catfish buries its head in the silt and falls into a sleepy state, becoming harmless to other fish, therefore, next to it in the same hole, other species of fish, for example: carp or bream, can overwinter. During the long winter, the catfish loses most of the fat that it accumulated during the warm season, so as soon as it wakes up from hibernation, it immediately begins to actively feed, trying to replenish lost reserves.
Catfish are long-lived among freshwater fish, they live up to 30-60 years, the largest catfish caught were 70-80 years old. The first 5-6 years the catfish grows quite quickly, then its growth slows down. A catfish at the age of 7 years weighs almost 18 kg.
Benefits and harms of catfish liver
It is worth mentioning separately about the beneficial properties of catfish liver. It contains fish oil, which is very valuable for the human body. This means that using the product allows you to:
- improve the condition of bone tissue;
- normalize the functioning of the digestive tract;
- improve memory and immunity;
- normalize concentration.
However, not everyone likes the taste of liver (or, perhaps, few people know how to cook it correctly?). There is no harm from consumption. The only contraindication is individual intolerance.
Catfish habitats
Catfish prefer to spend most of their time at depth, near the bottom. At the bottom of the reservoir, he finds a hole where a large number of sunken trees, logs and snags have accumulated, and settles in it. Catfish especially like holes with a muddy or sandy bottom.
Several catfish of the same age and size can live in one pit at once. Sometimes the catfish shares a hole with carp or burbot.
If there are a lot of catfish in the river and all the most interesting places are occupied, the catfish settle under steep banks, supports of hydraulic structures, under the shade of broad-leaved trees, some occupy beaver burrows.
The catfish does not like to swim far from its hole; it spends most of its time in it. Catfish also do not like to change their place of residence; if he has already chosen a suitable hole for himself, he will most likely spend his entire life in it.
During the daytime, the catfish lies down in its hole, rests and digests food, and as soon as darkness falls it goes hunting. At night, the catfish crawls along the bottom in search of food or waits in ambush for prey. In warm weather, catfish can rise to the very surface in order to bask in the warm layers of water. Small young catfish often come to shallow coastal areas in search of food.
After heavy, prolonged rains and floods, when the water becomes cloudy, the catfish can go along the river to look for a quiet backwater where there is no turbidity.
In winter, catfish gather in schools in the deepest holes and hibernate until spring.
Is catfish caviar healthy?
Caviar is healthy because it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids (in particular Omega-3). Therefore, it is often used for frying and making pancakes. But caviar has found its greatest use in cosmetology. It is used to make special anti-aging face masks, as well as all kinds of creams and serums that ensure skin regeneration.
By the way, you can also create various cosmetics from caviar at home. But it is worth remembering that only fresh caviar is useful. Canned food may be harmful.
Maintenance and care
The aquarium catfish, no matter what species it belongs to, is an unpretentious fish. But taking into account species characteristics is necessary. First of all, this is the size of the aquarium. Many catfish do not exceed 7 cm in length, but there are half a meter long, giants by aquarium standards. That is, a modest household volume is suitable for some, while others will need a multi-cube dwelling.
Otherwise, the fish have similar requirements. For large and small catfish, the presence of shelter is important. These are driftwood, stones, ceramic pots and the like. The substrate is coarse sand or pebbles. No small fractions, otherwise the catfish, digging in the soil, will muddy the water. The water temperature can vary between 22-28 °C.
In other parameters there are no extremes: weak or moderate hardness and neutral acidity. Catfish, as benthic inhabitants, do not need bright light. Water flow, aeration and regular addition of fresh water are necessary for all inhabitants of the aquarium, including catfish.
Small fish and large catfish can be mistaken for food
How to cook delicious catfish
The properties of the fish are such that you can cook anything from it. It can be cooked over coals, baked, fried, boiled and stewed. Kebabs, cutlets, goulash, steaks, soups, fish balls and other dishes are very tasty. The tail can be used to create pies and pies, and the head produces a delicious, rich soup. You can serve catfish with a side dish of potatoes, pasta, and various cereals.
This fish is good with sour cream, mayonnaise or cream. But it will bring special benefits if it is seasoned only with natural herbs and spices.
Important! The best way to cook catfish is to steam it in a slow cooker or a regular saucepan.
Fairytale aquatic - giant catfish
Old story, isn't it? The catfish dragged the man away and ate him. Let's find out what we hear about it on the Internet...
Catfish is the largest freshwater predator. Everyone knows this giant - an inhabitant of whirlpools and littered river holes, some from stories and books, and some who were lucky enough to catch, if not a record-breaking, but still a catfish! And sometimes this fish weighs up to 300 kg! Such giants, scientists believe, are usually 80-100 years old! True, I haven’t heard of any fishermen being so lucky. More often you come across catfish weighing 10-20 kg.
(Total 43 photos)
Of course, fishermen who specialize in catching these amazing fish - somyatniks - still catch very large specimens - up to 100 kg. In terms of its external characteristics, catfish are easily distinguished from all other fish. It has a huge, blunt head, a large mouth, from which extend two large whiskers, and four chin antennae. Whiskers are a kind of tentacles with the help of which the catfish finds food even in the dark. And what’s surprising is that with such large dimensions, the eyes are very small. The tail is long and not much like a fish. The color of the body is variable - almost black on top, but the belly is usually dirty white. His body is naked, without scales.
The food of catfish is very diverse; it feeds on mollusks, worms, crayfish and other living creatures. The main one is the fish, which it attacks from shelters and ambushes, masquerading as the background of the bottom (it is incapable of long-term pursuit of its victims). If a waterfowl or animal is gaping, then they too can become its victim. Catfish especially readily feast on green frogs. Catching it “with a kwok” is based on the use of this predilection. Like the pike, the catfish is an excellent orderly for water bodies: it eats weakened, dead fish, drowned animals, etc. Sexual maturity of catfish occurs in the 3rd - 4th year of life; spawning begins when the water warms up to 20 degrees. Usually spawning is in pairs. The female spawns eggs in shallow areas with little or no current into a hole dug in the ground. Males guard the eggs until the fry emerge. After spawning, catfish migrate to summer camps and begin to actively feed. The post-spawning zhor is the most active. It continues almost until mid-summer, then gradually decreases, and at the first night frosts the catfish completely stops feeding.
Som is a homebody. Usually he spends his entire life in one hole, unless extraordinary circumstances force him to look for another place. The catfish leads a solitary lifestyle; only some aggregation can be observed in wintering pits. For the first 2 - 3 years, young catfish also prefer to stay together; this is usually observed in places rich in food. Catfish are predominantly nocturnal, and if they move, it is mostly at dawn. On hot days they can come to the surface of the water. They are very sensitive to cold. But catfish are more mobile.
At night, in search of food, they go to shallow places on the banks... Catfish are predominantly nocturnal, and if they move, it is mostly at dawn. On hot days they can come to the surface of the water. They are very sensitive to cold. But catfish are more mobile. At night, in search of food, they go to shallow places on the banks. The catfish does not like muddy water, and therefore in rainy weather, when muddy water enters the river, it tends to leave the hole towards the surface. The same behavior is observed before a thunderstorm. Being large fish, catfish easily reveal themselves: they leave a characteristic mark when moving in the water, make sounds and splash. When searching for food, catfish are largely guided by their sense of smell. Therefore, ingredients singed on fire are added to the bait, which is used as all kinds of food waste, chopped entrails of domestic animals, etc.
Many fellow fishermen claim that catfish really like the smell of burnt feathers, wool and felt. Live fish are also used as bait: crucian carp, tench, white bream, squint, gobies, ram, etc. It is almost impossible to catch a catfish with weak tackle and thin fishing line, because it will break thin fishing line or weak cord without much effort. Catfish is a very strong fish. If it is hooked by an angler, it is not so easy to pull it out.
Catfish is the most voracious predator of fresh waters, it eats not only fish, but does not disdain frogs, small waterfowl, devours various food waste that falls into the river, swallows large mollusks, etc. Small little catfish is caught by a worm when catching other fish .
The body structure of the catfish is adapted for bottom life; it rarely rises to the upper layers of water. Its head is large, wide and flattened, its mouth is huge with numerous small teeth. There are two long antennae on the upper jaw and four short ones on the lower jaw. There is an incongruously small fin on the back, while the anal fin, wide and long, is connected to the caudal fin, which makes the catfish very powerful. The skin is bare, without scales. The eyes are small and very “evil”.
The catfish is primarily a nocturnal predator. During the day, he stays in his camp, under cover, where he lies in wait for his prey; at night, in search of food, he goes out into shallow places, walking near water thickets, where he feasts on gaping frogs.
In our rivers it is possible to catch catfish weighing about 50 kg.
The best time to catch catfish is July-August. It is best caught soon after spawning, which usually occurs at a temperature of 18-22 ° C. The best fishing time during the day should be considered from dusk to dawn. But even during the day, the possibility of his grip cannot be ruled out if the bait passes close to his mouth. The bait for catching catfish is spoons in proportion to the size of the expected catch and fresh fish, planted on a fishing point. Given the energetic and strong resistance of catfish when caught, it is necessary to install hooks of the appropriate size and strength.
When fighting large fish, which also occur at night or twilight, you need to be careful and make sure that the line does not get caught in your hand, otherwise you can cut it badly. The technique of catching catfish with a spinning rod has not yet been sufficiently mastered, but by using conventional fishing methods, you can count on success.
Catfish are not just fish. The merman rides on it, and the catfish carries drowned people to him. That's why they call him "the devil's horse." How many fishing stories and “horror stories” about catfish!
Catfish drown and eat ducklings, goslings and adult waterfowl. Eyewitnesses claimed that they saw a catfish swim up to the trees bent over the water and, with a blow of its tail, knock down not only a nest with chicks, but also some daydreaming crow.
They say that huge catfish drowned dogs and calves and attacked people, especially children. In Siberia there is a legend about a catfish that drowned a bear swimming across the river.
In the early 80s, the magazine “Science and Life” published the story of a collective farmer who was grabbed by the leg by a catfish and the poor guy beat the fish on the head with a sickle for a long time to free himself.
On July 16, 1982, in the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve, in front of the huntsman, forester and researcher at the biological station, a catfish attacked a young deer and pulled it under water.
Nowadays, in one of the lakes of the Dutch recreation park “Centerparcs”, tourists are struck with fear, mixed with curiosity, by a catfish 2.3 meters long.
The main diet of Big Momma, as the locals call the catfish, consists of ducks, who inadvertently choose its lake for rest. According to park employees, the underwater monster eats two or three birds a day. In addition, he already has several large and small dogs.
The Dutch catfish has already scared away all the local ducks, who have moved to other lakes, away from its mouth. However, Big Mom does not have to starve, since several random birds always fly to the lake, unaware that a monster is waiting for them in the calm water.
According to Centerparcs biologist Jean Hanks, Big Mom was able to grow to such a size because the lake has unusually clean water, plenty of food around, and is very calm.
In order not to scare away tourists, the authorities initially hushed up the incident, but nevertheless the news became public knowledge. Currently, swimming in the reservoir is prohibited due to the high probability that there are other man-eating fish in it.
Catfish can reach 300 kg in weight and five meters in length, and there is evidence that a hundred years ago 400 kg monsters were caught in Russian rivers. Senior researcher at the Saratov Regional Research Institute of River and Lake Fisheries, Vladimir Ermolin, in an interview with Saratovnews, said that he came across giants weighing 260-290 kilograms in the Volga and its tributaries.
According to Bram, the length of this fish can be up to 3 meters and weight 220 kg, but American zoologist David Weller in his book “Killer Fish” talks about 6.3 meters and 500 kg!
Leonid Sabaneeva in his work “Life and Catching of Freshwater Fish” wrote that a jaw of a catfish caught in the lake was installed on Lake Issyk-Kul. It stood vertically in the form of an arch and an adult could freely pass through it without bending.
For example, in the Ukrainian Dnieper (where catfish is considered the king fish), according to unconfirmed reports, a 288-kilogram catfish with a length of 4 meters was caught. In the Dniester, a catfish weighing 320 kilograms was pulled out. And again, according to unconfirmed reports, in 1830 the largest catfish in the world was caught on the Oder. His weight was 400 kilograms.
In South America, in the rivers of the Amazon basin, the length of catfish reaches 3 meters. In India and Indonesia, 4-meter individuals are found.
The largest catfish in Europe was caught in Italy in March 2011. Its weight turned out to be 114 kilograms, its length is exactly 2.5 meters. A fisherman named Robert Godey dragged the fish ashore for 50 minutes. And not alone, but with the help of several people. As a result, the catfish became the largest freshwater fish caught in European waters. She also received the title of the largest catfish in the world that was caught.
On the day of fishing, Roberto Godi was hunting for bream, but felt a bite and went into the river. After the catch, weighing 114 kilograms, was pulled out of the water, everyone was surprised. The fisherman weighed the catfish, took a photo with it and released it back into the river.
Now that title has passed to a giant catfish caught by Thai fishermen in the Mekong River.
Its weight was 293 kilograms and its length was 2.7 meters. The fish were weighed, measured, and photographed by Thai officials.
Zoologists and ecologists fought for the legendary catfish - they wanted to take it under their supervision. However, the local residents starved him to death and ate him with pleasure.
Are there still catfish cannibals?
Hungry catfish are pretty scary. There are known facts when fish attacked rotten rags and even snatched linen from the hands of women who were rinsing their clothes in ponds. Catfish have the strength to capsize a boat, and if desired, they can tear a fishing net and take the fish with them.
Catfish is the largest river predator. Its weight can reach 230 kilograms with a length of 3 meters. However, fish can grow to large sizes. For example, American zoologist David Wheeler mentions in his book “Killer Fish” a catfish weighing 500 kilograms and 6.3 meters.
Catfish live in almost all large reservoirs of Russia and the CIS countries. They are also common in Europe, but not in northern countries. Can be found in the USA, Canada and Latin America. Experts say that catfish can attack any living creature that is on the surface of the water. A predator always swallows its prey whole. It cannot tear off pieces like a shark, since it does not have teeth, as such. The small teeth are more like a brush. At the same time, catfish, which can live up to 100 years, are sometimes unable to provide themselves with a regular breakfast. Therefore, it is easier for him to find prey on the surface: ducks, birds, dogs and even people.
I found this photo with the caption “the biggest man-eating catfish,” but to me it looks more like a WHALE SHARK. This is the story that is told in addition to the photo:
Every year, swimmers mysteriously disappeared in one of the Chinese reservoirs. The mystery of the disappearances has already been revealed. It turned out that in the reservoir there was a three-meter catfish with a head more than a meter. Human remains were found inside the fish.
Last summer, a catfish of enormous size frightened the residents of the Kazakh city of Aktobe, located on the banks of the Ilek River. Citizens even turned to the authorities with a request to finally catch the killer fish.
Rumors about the existence of a man-eating catfish intensified after three young people drowned in the waters near the Zhilgorod beach.
“Local residents say that the catfish is to blame for the deaths. Once on a moonlit night,” says Boris Tatarintsev, an old resident of these places, “I saw a huge fish: a giant catfish basking on the surface. He must eat a lot to feed himself. And a lot of people have disappeared here..."
“The catfish is the largest of the river predators. According to the famous zoologist Bram, the length of this fish reaches 3 meters and weight - 230 kg. However, judging by other sources, both the length and weight of catfish can be much greater. For example, American zoologist David Wheeler in his book Killer Fish gives the figures 6.3 meters and 500 kg!”
Catfish live in almost all large rivers, lakes and reservoirs of Russia and the CIS - from the southern borders to the Far East. Also common in Europe - except for northern countries. Catfish live in Canada, the USA and Latin America. But, by and large, giant fish can appear in any body of water where there is a good food supply for them.
According to experts, catfish can attack any living creature located on the surface of the water. A predator, which has practically no enemies, always tries to swallow its prey whole. Catfish cannot tear pieces from it like sharks, because they do not have teeth, as such. Small teeth in several rows are more like a brush, with which it is impossible to bite the victim.
It is quite difficult for a huge catfish weighing several hundred kilograms, which has lived for half a century (and they can live up to 100 years), to provide themselves with regular breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hunting fish is a burden for him. The 50-year-old catfish has speed and strength in abundance, but its maneuverability is not the same. Another thing is prey floating on the surface of the water - ducks, geese, dogs and other four-legged animals that decided to their misfortune to enter the water. And, of course, a person, whose leg is much easier to grab than the same dog. Having tasted the human taste, the catfish, like some African crocodiles, can switch exclusively to such food.
There is a story going around Ukraine that supposedly happened on the Dnieper. Several years ago, off the island of Khortitsa, at a depth of 15 meters, a tugboat that had disappeared the day before was discovered. There was a huge hole in its side, in which a five-meter catfish was stuck!
When his carcass was raised to the surface and his stomach was opened, everyone present gasped in horror: inside were the remains of three vainly sought Polish tourists, who had recently transferred from the ship in distress to a motor boat, but never made it to the shore.
Local old-timers claim that killer catfish have already committed over a dozen attacks on motor and sailing boats. The disappearances of fishing enthusiasts, who preferred fishing further from the shore, have also become more frequent.
All these chilling stories were born for a reason. Catfish is the largest freshwater fish. In our reservoirs, only sturgeon were larger than catfish, but now they are practically never found.
In the Khopyorsky Nature Reserve, in the presence of two rangers, a forester and a senior researcher at a biological station, a catfish attack on a young deer was recorded. In front of eyewitnesses, the voracious predator dragged the poor fellow to the bottom of the lake. Old-timers note that similar cases have happened before.
Attempts to detect and catch the killer catfish were unsuccessful. The commission, created on the initiative of the reserve management and specialists from the Faculty of Biology of Voronezh State University, came to the conclusion that the unusual behavior of the catfish is explained by a tectonic fault and the unusual state of the earth’s crust in the area of the Khopyorsky Reserve. Recorded energy emissions in the fault zone could be the reason for such unusual, aggressive behavior of the catfish.
At the end of the summer of 1996, in the village of Kulakovo (Rossoshansky district of the Voronezh region), two people, a woman and a boy, became victims of a man-eating catfish. If the catfish's prey is too large for its mouth, the predator leaves it for some time at the bottom. And only when the corpse begins to decompose and becomes soft, the catfish gradually begins to absorb pieces of flesh. Usually the killer fish goes hunting at sunset and scours the pond in search of prey until dawn. That is why it is not advisable to swim in the evening in places where catfish are found.
The famous ichthyologist Richiuti cites a number of historical cases in which people became victims of catfish. So, in 1613, a river predator swallowed a child in the area of present-day Pressburg, in 1754, the corpse of a 7-year-old child was found in the belly of one of the giant catfish, and at the end of the 18th century in Turkey, a predator was caught with the body of a woman in its belly. Another report from Turkey says that in 1793, two little girls became victims of a man-eating catfish.
Legends about mermen that drag their victims to the bottom, and the notoriety of some river pools can also be associated with giant river catfish.
“Last summer I vacationed with relatives in the Shatursky district of the Moscow region,” says Nikolai Blinkov. “And then one morning, probably around eight o’clock, my nephew Andreika wakes me up and shouts almost in my ear: “Uncle Kol, Uncle Kol, get up quickly, let’s go look at Vodyanoy!” He staged a whole concert in the lake”...
At first, I didn’t understand anything, but Andreika quickly explained everything to me. It turns out that in Lake Velikoye, on the shore of which our village is located, the real Vodyanoy, the one about whom fairy tales are told, has been raging for more than an hour!
Actually, I stopped believing in fairy tales for a long time, but my nephew was so convincing that I was forced, without even washing my face, to go with him to the lake. Fortunately, it was located a few minutes from the house.
As it soon became clear, we were not the only ones who came to see the miracle that had suddenly appeared. At least two-thirds of the entire population of the village gathered on the shore. People were talking animatedly and pointing their fingers at the middle of the lake, where the real devilry was really happening!
Something incredibly large and not similar to either a person or an animal was rushing at a truly frantic speed about a hundred meters from us along the surface of the lake, disappearing at times under the water and jumping out of it again with a loud splash and splashes that scattered far in different directions. At the same time, the monster made very thin squeaking sounds, turning into strangled wheezing. The spectacle was truly so impressive and mesmerizing that I could not take my eyes off it. As, by the way, did everyone else gathered on the shore. And the spectacle reached its highest point when the miracle Yudo, once again disappearing under the water, suddenly rushed rapidly towards us.
It looked like a torpedo fired from a naval ship. It itself is not visible, only a water breaker, waves diverging from it and a long foamy trail are visible on the surface. I even got a shiver. A woman standing not far from me screamed hysterically. Probably, a little more, and we would all have rushed headlong in different directions, but the next moment the “torpedo” suddenly braked and, turning 180 degrees, rushed again to the center of the lake. I breathed a sigh of relief, and I think I wasn’t the only one.
The merman’s “dancing” continued for at least another half hour, and then he disappeared under the water completely and did not appear again until the end of the day.
The mysterious incident on the lake would probably have remained unsolved, and subsequently, perhaps, would have added to the list of local legends, if the next morning a rural fisherman had not seen from a boat... a dead man lying at the bottom of the lake!
I, as always, appeared on the spot at the very height of events. On the shore, two young guys were putting on scuba gear, a village policeman was bustling around nearby, and in the crowd, which had increased even more compared to yesterday morning, the same fisherman who discovered the drowned man was walking around, telling his story to everyone:
“On my boat, I dug into a place that had been baited since the evening, threw my fishing rods, and I looked, and right below me, at the bottom, he was lying. All naked, white and with his arms spread out in different directions!”
...After some time, the “drowned man” was pulled ashore by scuba divers to the admiring exclamations of those gathered and the caustic remarks of the district police officer addressed to the fisherman, who, due to a severe hangover, mistook for a dead man... a wild goose and a huge catfish clinging tightly to it!
It turns out that it was their mortal struggle that we saw the day before and mistook for the incredible dance of the raging Vodyanoy. Although there are also plenty of incredible things in this story. Firstly, what is striking is the catfish itself, the length of which turned out to be almost two meters, and secondly, the fight between this monster fish and the goose that lasted for several hours in a row, which in itself causes genuine surprise and, to put it bluntly, quiet horror! The goose is also not a small bird and is quite strong.
Two days later my vacation came to an end. Driving past the lake, I noticed that its shores were empty. There were no swimmers, no one was sitting with fishing rods. The bloodthirsty catfish, which quite possibly still has equally huge relatives left in the lake, frightened the villagers more than the fabulous Vodyanoy!”
I wonder why they catch such giants? I'm not a fisherman myself, but this is what I read about catfish.
An elderly warrior said that during the war he personally caught a catfish weighing 40 kg. And, indeed, when they sawed it up, there was a strong smell of mud inside, there was a very unpleasant smell. After all, catfish eat everything that floats in the water, everything that “moves.” So it’s better to release the catfish into the wild, let them live until they are 80 years old...
like fish to eat catfish is shit. After I saw a dead horse in the water and a bunch of catfish, I can’t even look at them, I still remember the smell. In India, catfish grow very large due to local burial rituals.
Yes, they are scavengers, just like burbot. My uncle also stopped eating them when he was young, when they caught a burbot in a seine that had gotten into the boot of a drowned man.
A completely meaningless trophy in every way. And so - this is a fish-orderly, which passes through itself a bunch of “stuff” and, first of all, any carrion. In theory, they should not be caught at all and should be released if caught by accident.
I remembered. last year in Astrakhan we ate hot smoked catfish for a couple of days... The liver failed on the second day, and the catfish rushed out in the middle of the night, and lasted for about three days, perhaps. The fact that he's not bony is a plus, of course.
How to clean catfish at home
After reading the information about the benefits of catfish for the human body, you can move on to cleaning scales and fins. Everything needs to be done in the following sequence:
- Cut off the tail (you can immediately wash and remove).
- Clean the skin of mucus, immediately roll the catfish in coarse salt and leave for 5 minutes.
- Rinse the carcass, scrape off the remaining mucus using a dull knife.
- When the skin becomes light in color, begin gutting.
- To do this, make a puncture at the base of the head and carefully cut the skin, moving towards the tail.
- If the gallbladder is accidentally ruptured, the catfish should be covered with salt and left for a while, then rinsed.
- Remove the entrails from the abdominal cavity, cut and remove the gills.
- Remove the caviar, if any, and free it from the film.
- Clean the carcass until the skin turns a light shade.
- Remove the fins and rinse thoroughly.
- Remove the skin by making an incision along the spine and immediately separate the fillet from the bones, first on one side, then on the other.
It is worth noting that catfish tend to smell strongly of mud or silt. To get rid of the unpleasant smell, you should soak the fish for a couple of hours in white wine or milk. Then rinse with water and dry with paper towels.
Appearance
Catfish cannot be called a beautiful fish. The entire appearance of the catfish and the structure of its body indicate that the catfish is adapted for life at the bottom of a reservoir.
The head of the catfish is large relative to the length of the body, wide, flattened. On the sides of the head, closer to the upper jaw, are small, widely spaced eyes that look angry. Like most other bottom-dwelling fish species, the catfish's vision is poorly developed; it mainly uses its well-developed sense of smell and sensitive whiskers to orient itself in space and obtain food.
The catfish has a huge mouth, armed with a large number of very small and sharp teeth. The catfish has bristle teeth, somewhat reminiscent of a brush; a fish caught in the catfish’s mouth has no chance of getting out. On the upper jaw of the catfish there are two long whitish whiskers. The lower jaw protrudes far forward and has four short yellowish antennae. The mustache serves as an organ of touch for the catfish.
The body of the catfish is long, powerful, rounded in the front, tapering closer to the tail. When looking at a catfish, it seems that it has no scales at all, in fact there are scales, they are just very small, pressed tightly to the body and covered with a layer of mucus. The large amount of mucus that covers the catfish’s body protects the delicate skin of the fish from damage and facilitates gliding in the water when swimming, providing the catfish with good maneuverability.
The catfish's fins are powerful, usually darker than the rest of the body, and can be almost black, dark blue or dark green. The dorsal fin of the catfish is disproportionately small. The anal fin is wide and very long, reaching the very tail. The tail of the catfish is long, making up more than half of the entire body, flattened on the sides. The caudal fin is small, with rounded edges.
The color of the catfish, depending on its habitat, can vary from light yellow to black. The upper body, back and sides of the catfish can be brown, black, brownish green, blackish green, light brown, sandy yellow or olive brown. Often there are spots along the body of the catfish, due to which the color of the catfish combines several shades at once, smoothly transitioning into each other. In young catfish, these transitions are sharper, and the color is brighter than in adult and older catfish. The belly of the catfish is lighter than the back and sides, most often it is yellowish-white or dirty gray in color. Occasionally, albinos are found among catfish.
The brown coloring of catfish allows them to be invisible at the bottom of deep holes and pools and makes it possible to hunt fish from ambush.
Old catfish look ugly, the huge head takes on an unpleasant dirty yellow color, and the whole body is abundantly covered with many aquatic worms.
How to choose and store catfish correctly
You should choose, paying attention to the appearance of the fish and its size (smaller is better). The fillet should be white, spring back under your finger, and smell pleasant. The catfish should have a pleasant smell. If the catfish is not cleaned, you should also look at the gills. It's good if they are pink and without spots. If the fish is frozen, then it is better to choose the one that is in a vacuum container. After purchasing catfish, you should immediately cook it or put it in the refrigerator, as it tends to spoil quickly. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Closely related species of catfish
The common or European catfish belongs to the genus Soma, family Catfish, order Catfish. The order Catfish includes 40 families. The Catfish family includes about 11-12 genera and about 97-100 species. The genus Soma includes 14 species. The closest related species to the European catfish are the Soldatov's catfish and the Amur catfish. In addition to them, on the territory of our country there are Channel catfish and American catfish, which are also included in the order Catfish, but belong to the family of Iktalur catfish.
Som Soldatova
(Silurus soldatovi) is a large fish reaching a length of up to 3 meters and a weight of up to 80 kg. Inhabits the Amur River basin, the Ussuri River and Lake Khanka. In appearance, size and color it is similar to the common catfish. Its back and sides are gray, with brown streaks, and its belly is light. Eats fish. Hunts at night. In the fall it goes to the depths, where it spends the entire winter without feeding. Reaches sexual maturity at 4 years. Spawning of Soldatov's catfish occurs in June-July, in coastal thickets. Soldatov's catfish is considered a rare fish; its numbers are constantly declining, which is why it is listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.
Amur catfish
(Parasilurus asotus) lives in Japan, China and Korea. In 1933, the Amur catfish was released into the rivers of Primorye, where it took root and multiplied. Found in Lake Baikal. The length of the Amur catfish is up to 1 meter, weight 6-8 kg. The body color of the Amur catfish is dark green, the belly is light. Prefers to settle in standing or bodies of water with weak currents. In summer it goes into channels, floods and the coastal zone. In autumn it goes deeper. It feeds on small fish, mollusks, frogs and crayfish. Hunt from ambush in the evening and at night. Reaches sexual maturity by 4 years. Spawning occurs from late May to July. It lays eggs on aquatic plants. The Amur catfish is widely fished; its meat is highly prized for its taste and low bone count.
Channel catfish
(Ictalurus punctatus) is a fish of the Ictaluridae family. Lives in the USA, southern Canada, northern Mexico. The body length of channel catfish is from 60 to 130 cm, maximum weight is 4.5-9 kg. The body color is bluish-olive, gray, black, with spots on the sides, the belly is light. It feeds on fish, shellfish, insects, frogs, crayfish, and small mammals.
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The most common catfish in North America, about 8 million American anglers fish for channel catfish. Since 1972, channel catfish began to be bred in Russia, in the Krasnodar Territory. From the ponds, the channel catfish entered the rivers of the Don and Kuban systems. Channel catfish are bred in ponds in the Moscow region and the Urals.
American catfish
(Ictalurus nebulosus) is a fish of the Ictaluridae family. American catfish live in overgrown, slow-moving and stagnant bodies of water with silty bottoms in North America. Introduced to Europe for breeding in ponds, spread throughout the water bodies of Belarus and Ukraine, and can be found in the western regions of Russia. The length of the American catfish reaches 1 meter. Very hardy to living conditions, can live in poor water where other fish species cannot live. Can burrow into the ground. Hunts and feeds at night. Unpretentious in food.
Hello from Africa
One of the varieties of this fish is the African clary catfish. This species is widely known to fish farmers who are well acquainted with their characteristics.
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The fillet of such fish is considered a source of huge amounts of nutrients, minerals, amino acids and vitamins.
The benefit of Clarium catfish is the combination of such useful elements as: calcium, potassium, sodium, selenium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, chromium, iodine.
From the group vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, E, PP. Amino acids: tryptophan, threonine, isoilecin, leucine, lysine, cystine, methionine.
What do average individuals eat?
Young fish of three or four years of age turn into full-fledged predators, although their growth and maturation continues. The river catfish gives preference to the inhabitants of the reservoir that have swum into its lair, but its favorite delicacy is green frogs. Medium-sized individuals are distinguished by their gluttony, which is why they often became fishing prey, flattered by a worm impaled on a hook. During growth and formation, the main diet consists of fish and the remains of living creatures.
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Channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish
was brought to Europe from America. This is a heat-loving fish, so it is most often found in rivers and lakes in central Russia. Its size is significantly smaller than that of an ordinary catfish - its weight is no more than 2.5 kilograms, and its length is about half a meter. The peculiarity of this fish is the absence of scales and large and sharp spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. Skin color is gray-brown or green-brown, with rounded black spots.
The channel catfish is distinguished by its rapid growth; at two to three years its length already reaches 30-40 centimeters. This predator is of interest to sports fishing enthusiasts. The peculiarity of the channel catfish is its omnivory - it literally eats everything it sees, from fry, crayfish and beetles to ordinary grass. In the summer, this fish is at its peak of activity, and in the winter it goes into deep-sea holes.
Channel catfish are an excellent trophy for spinners, although they can be caught with mugs and regular float tackle. The hook can be used either double or single, size 8-10. As for the fishing line, 0.25-0.3 millimeter can easily withstand a small catfish.
The main thing when catching a predator is not to rush into hooking. Wait until the fish swallows the bait completely. If a spoon is used, then you need to hook when the catfish rarely strikes, breaking free.
