Catfish (Silurus glanis)

The catfish is the largest and strongest freshwater fish. It can reach a length of up to 2 m and a weight of 100 kg. It has a large head with a large mouth armed with numerous small teeth. The body of the catfish is smooth, elongated, completely devoid of scales. Our attention is attracted by its long, moveable whiskers serving, among others, to search for food and orientation in the water.

It prefers warm, slow-moving waters with a soft bottom. It is a predatory fish and a very voracious one. It spends the days in hiding, lying motionlessly on the bottom of the river, and feeds by night, devouring everything in sight that can be swallowed, mostly small species (small fish, frogs, crayfish, etc.). The catfish uses its sight only to a limited degree, when hunting it generally uses a well-developed sense of hearing, smell and touch. It is sensitive to the quality of water, thus, in polluted waters it feeds and reproduces to a smaller extend.