Catfish

Catfish Temporal range: Late Cretaceous – Recent 87.8–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N [1][2]
Black bullhead
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
(unranked):	Otophysi
Order:	Siluriformes G. Cuvier, 1817
Type species
Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758
Families[4]
Extant families: Ailiidae[3] Akysidae Amblycipitidae Amphiliidae Anchariidae Ariidae Aspredinidae Astroblepidae Auchenipteridae Austroglanididae Bagridae Callichthyidae Cetopsidae Chacidae Clariidae Claroteidae Cranoglanididae Diplomystidae Doradidae Erethistidae Heptapteridae Heteropneustidae Horabagridae[3] Ictaluridae Kryptoglanidae Lacantuniidae Loricariidae Malapteruridae Mochokidae Nematogenyiidae Pangasiidae Pimelodidae Plotosidae Pseudopimelodidae Schilbeidae Scoloplacidae Siluridae Sisoridae Trichomycteridae incertae sedis: Conorhynchos Extinct family: Andinichthyidae† Bachmanniidae†

Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes /sɪˈljʊərɪfɔːrmiːz/ or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia, the wels catfish of Eurasia, and the piraíba of South America, to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called the candiru, Vandellia cirrhosa. Neither the armour-plated types nor the naked types have scales. 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. Many of the smaller species, particularly the genus Corydoras, are important in the aquarium hobby. Many catfish are nocturnal,^[5][6] but others (many Auchenipteridae) are crepuscular or diurnal (most Loricariidae or Callichthyidae, for example).