What methods do catfishes use to catch fish?

Catfishes don't "catch" fish in the way that a predator like a shark or a dolphin does. They actually use a few different methods to find and consume their food:

1. Bottom Feeders:

* Tactile Foraging: Catfish have sensitive barbels (whiskers) around their mouths which they use to feel for food on the bottom of lakes, rivers, and streams.

* Taste Buds: They have taste buds all over their bodies, including on their barbels, allowing them to taste their food.

* Smell: Catfish have a well-developed sense of smell, helping them detect prey buried in the sediment.

2. Ambush Predators:

* Waiting: Many catfish species stay hidden in crevices or beneath rocks, waiting for unsuspecting prey to come close.

* Sudden Strike: When prey gets close enough, the catfish quickly snaps its mouth shut, using its powerful jaws to capture the fish.

3. Active Hunters:

* Swallowing: Some catfish species are known to swallow entire fish, using their powerful jaws and expandable stomachs to consume prey much larger than their heads.

* Filter Feeding: Some catfish, like the "channel catfish," filter food particles from the water by using specialized gill rakers, a series of bony projections in their gills.

Important to note: Catfish don't use lures, hooks, or other methods like some humans do to catch fish. Their primary food source is usually insects, crustaceans, smaller fish, and other aquatic organisms.