RED-TAILED CATFISH

Generalist predators, Red-tailed Catfish eat almost everything. They ambush predators of small fish, but may also eat fruits that have falled into the water.

Catfish do not have scales like most fish, they are either "armor-plated" or "naked". The Red-tailed Catfish is one of the "naked" types of catfis, having mucus-covered skin instead of armor-like bony plates.

Red-tailed Catfish can live up to 20 years, and grow to be over 4 feet in length and weigh up to 180 pounds.

The cat fish's whiskers, or barbels, are loaded with chemical receptors. The barbels are used to physically probe the water as well as smell to locate food. These fish also make clicking sounds underwater to frighten predators away.