Not entirely true. As catfish age, and grow, the spines that were once very sharp become blunt. This happens with channel catfish and blue catfish as well as flatheads. Channel catfish typically do not have sharp spines once they reach 12 inches or more. Do blue ceilings keep bees away? what color paint keeps bugs away.

Do blue catfish have stingers?

Catfish don’t “sting”, let’s go ahead and get that out of the way now. Catfish whiskers don’t sting. Their barbels or fins don’t either. … There is a common misconception that catfish will “sting” but this is nothing more than a myth or misunderstanding of catfish.

Do all catfish have barbs?

Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels or “whiskers”. 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.