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Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a very diverse group of
bony fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which give
the image of cat-like whiskers, catfish range in size
and behavior from the heaviest, the Mekong giant catfish
in 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 common name, not all catfish have
prominent barbels; what defines a fish as being in the
order Siluriformes are in fact certain features of the
skull and swimbladder. Catfish are of considerable
commercial importance; many of the larger species are
farmed or fished for food, and some are exploited for
sport fishing, including a kind known as noodling. Many
of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras,
are important in the aquarium hobby.
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