Catfish are ferocious carnivorous fish. They mainly feed on small fish such as dinner strips, crucian carp, goby, wheatear, carp, loach, etc. They also eat shrimps and aquatic insects.

Currently farmed catfish are also fed feed. Judging from what catfish eat, ingesting these things does not affect the catfish itself. Most people think that catfish itself is dirty, mainly because catfish live in sludge, but as long as they are cleaned, there is no big problem.

Catfish mainly eat by swallowing, and their teeth mainly play a role in preventing prey from escaping. Because of their poor eyesight, catfish rely entirely on their sense of smell and their four whiskers to hunt.

The growth environment of catfish is relatively harsh. Catfish usually appear in sludge. Their habit is to come out to look for food at night. The main food sources are small fish, shrimps, loaches and other small animals. These small animals can provide catfish with rich nutrients and promote their growth.

Reproduction methods

The spawning activities of catfish are generally carried out in temporary waters (rice fields) from late April to late August, and are generally related to rainfall. During reproductive activities, the male first puts his head close to the female's abdomen, vigorously chases the female, and then starts to cling to the female's body from the side, bending his tail or head (clinging). Finally, the male embraces the female's body with his anus close to the female (hug).

In some cases, 2 to 4 males chase a female, and two males embrace a female at the same time. Although there is no overt aggressive behavior between males, it is always the largest male that approaches and cuddles the female most often. Mating pairs travel long distances in ditches, rice fields and streams to carry out reproductive activities.

The catfish’s spawning location and spawning period allow the young fish to avoid the risk of predation and eat efficiently, first on plankton and then on the juveniles of other fish, These juvenile fish become abundant during the irrigation period. The eggs are laid scattered on the grass-covered bottom surface; it is not protected by the male. The eggs are green, with a membraneless diameter of 1.6 mm and a membrane diameter of 4.3 mm. Hatching occurs on the 7th day after fertilization at a temperature of 19°C.