National Catfish Day is observed each year on June 25. In the United States, this national observance celebrates the value of farm-raised catfish.
A diverse group of ray-finned fish, catfish are named for their prominent barbels, which resemble cat whiskers.
- Catfish are nocturnal.
- They don’t have scales.
- Catfish are a good source of Vitamin D.
- In the United States, the most commonly eaten species are the channel catfish and the blue catfish.
A favorite dish of many Americans, this fine finned fish can be prepared many different ways. A traditional preparation method in the United States is to coat it with cornmeal and fry it.
- President Ronald Reagan designated June 25 as National Catfish Day in 1987 by Presidential Proclamation after Congress called for the day to be established by Joint Resolution 178.
- Catfish are raised in fresh water ponds only about four to six feet deep.
- Farm raised catfish are taught to eat feed pellets that float on top of the water. Wild catfish are bottom feeders.
- One catfish can lay up to 4,000 eggs a year per pound of body weight.
- The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.
- Young catfish are called “sac fry” because they still live off of the food supplied by the yolk sacs.
- When catfish reach 4 inches long they are called “fingerlings” (the size of an index finger).
- Catfish are harvested in nets when they weigh about one to one and a half pounds.
- About 60% of U.S. farm-raised catfish are grown within a 65-mile radius of Belzoni, Mississippi. The 43rd World Catfish Festival was held in April in Belzoni.
- Catfish is now the 5th most popular fish in America.
- There are nearly 2,900 species of catfish in existence today.
- Catfish species live inland or in coastal waters of every continent except Antarctica. They are most diverse in tropical South America, Asia and Africa with one family native to North America and one family in Europe.
- Catfish can live up to 60 years depending on location and species.
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