CHAPTER XI 



THE CATFISH FAMILY 

 (Silurida) 



THE catfish family is represented by many 

 species in the United States. They have the 

 body entirely naked, barbels about the mouth, 

 and an adipose fin, after the fashion of the fishes 

 of the salmon family. They vary greatly in size, 

 from the little stone-cat 6f three inches to the 

 immense Mississippi-cat of nearly two hundred 

 pounds. But one species will be noticed. 



Ictalurus punctatus. The Channel-catfish. Body elongate, slender, 

 compressed posteriorly; head 4; depth 5; eye large ; D. 1,6; 

 A. 25 to 30 ; head slender and conical ; mouth small, upper jaw 

 longest ; barbels long, the longest reaching considerably beyond 

 the gill opening ; humeral process long and slender ; caudal fin 

 long and deeply forked. 



THE CHANNEL-CATFISH 



(Jctalurus punctatus) 



The channel-cat was first described by Rafi- 

 nesque, in 1820, from the Ohio River. He named 

 it punctatusy or " spotted," owing to the black 



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