Catfish are an extremely diverse group of ray-finned fish that get their nickname from their feline-looking whiskers, which are actually barbels that act as a defense mechanism (unlike other fish that have scales to defend them). … Aside from that, certain species of catfish make excellent pet fish and aquarium mates.

Are catfish man made?

From egg to harvest, U.S. farm-raised catfish are raised under controlled conditions in man-made ponds with minimal use of antibiotics and other chemicals to treat for disease. The catfish are fed floating food from the time they are sac fry, which is the life stage once they hatch, until they are harvested.

Is a catfish a cat or a fish?

Catfish are a diverse group of fish named for their prominent barbells, which give the image of cat-like whiskers. Catfish are found primarily in freshwater environments of all kinds, with species on every continent except Antarctica.

They are most diverse in tropical South America, Asia, and Africa, with one family native to North America and one family in Europe. More than half of all catfish species live in the Americas. They are the only ostariophysans that have entered freshwater habitats in Madagascar, Australia, and New Guinea.