Giant Blue Catfish Comes Out of Nowhere

Giant Blue Catfish Comes Out of Nowhere

Catfish are categorized under the Chordata phylum, Vertebrata subphylum, Actinopterygii class, Siluriformes order, and Mematognathi suborder. They also belong to the Ostariophysi superoder, which consists of the Cypriniformes, Characiformes, Gonorynchiformes, and Gymnotiformes.

The blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is a large species of North American catfish, reaching a length of 65 in (170 cm) and a weight of 165 lb (75 kg). The continent’s largest, it can live to 20 years, with a typical fish being between 25–46 in (64–117 cm) and 30–70 lb (14–32 kg)

How many species of catfish are there?

2,900 species
All catfishes are either naked or armoured with bony plates; none has scales. Living catfishes constitute nearly 2,900 species placed in about 35 families. The majority of species inhabit fresh water, but a few, belonging to the families Ariidae and Plotosidae, are marine