Catfish Identification

These bottom dwellers derive their common name, catfish, from the "whiskers" on their snouts, but they share other traits with earthbound felines. Catfish prefer to rest during the day and prowl at night. Like their curious namesakes, catfish seek out and explore secluded spots. And flathead catfish will engage each other in "cat" fights to rival any back alley tomcats. On the other hand, there are traits catfish don't share with the feline family. Channel catfish are anything but finicky, feeding on almost anything that floats by. Unlike sharp-eyed feline predators, catfish depend more on their well-developed senses of smell and touch to seek their dinner. Finally, some people might argue, a fury cat is a somewhat more appealing creature than the scaleless catfish.

That notion may run into some argument in communities along the Mississippi and lower Wisconsin rivers, where catfish are held in high regard. Catfish dinners are featured in many riverfront restaurants as well as at the dinner tables of many anglers. In some river towns, flathead catfish in particular are considered a delicacy, even earning the nickname "candy bar. "

The channel catfish and the flathead catfish are Wisconsin's largest members of the bullhead catfish family (Ictaluridae), which also includes the bullheads, the madtoms and the stonecat. The flathead is the granddaddy of Wisconsin catfish. It can be one fat cat, reaching weights of 30 to 40 or more pounds.

All members of the family are scaleless, having instead a thick, tough skin. Catfish are darkly
colored, reflecting the murky depths where they linger. Channel catfish have blue to olive backs,
whitish bellies and silvery sides mottled with distinctive black'spots of varying sizes - the only
species of this family to have such spots. The spots often disappear from older males, which are
sometimes erroneously identified as another relative, the blue catfish. Blue catfish are not found
as far north as Wisconsin. Flathead catfish have light brown to yellow sides (hence the common name yellow cat) that may have darker brown or black areas. The belly is yellow to cream white.
Channel catfish are smaller and have a more slender body than flatheads. Both species have
broad heads, but as its name implies, the flathead has the flattest and broadest. The two species can be easily distinguished by their caudal (tail) fins.

The channel cat has a deeply-forked tail while the flathead has a squared tail fin with only slight forks. Catfish have eight whiskers, called barbels (fleshy sensors capable of feeling and tasting). There is one barbel at each corner of the mouth; one adjacent to each nostril; and four protruding from the lower jaw. A common misconception is that barbels sting if they are touched. While this is not true, catfish have three sharp spines (rigid supports) - one in their dorsal (back) fin and one in each of the pectoral (side) fins - with venomous mucus glands that secrete a painful but not dangerous poison. Handle catfish with care to avoid these spines. The pelvic (belly) fins and the anal (bottom rear) fin are supported by rays (soft, flexible supports). Catfish have an adipose (fatty tissue) fin on their backs just in front of the tail. Another distinctive feature of the flathead is a protruding lower lip; the channel catfish's upper lip protrudes farther than its lower lip.