Why do catfish have whiskers

Catfish have a defense mechanism to protect themselves - they can sting! While you don't want to be stung by catfish, they are not harmful! Hi Camille! Catfish don't sting, they use their whiskers to get from place to place and find food.

We are glad you shared what you learned with us today, Camille! Great work! Thanks for telling us about your dad's catfish catch! We love how you compared the size of the catfish to yourself-- it must have been a healthy catfish! Do you like to fish, Camille? Thanks for telling us about your favorite part of our catfish Wonder, Morgan! We love the detail of your comment-- great job! We hope to Wonder with you soon, and we can't wait to find out what the next Wonder will be! Thank you! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature.

Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Why do catfish have whiskers? How did the catfish get its name? Are all five senses important? Wonder What's Next? Try It Out Ready to keep learning? Learn more about freshwater habitat from National Geographic.

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Then, customize it and add text to help others learn about the freshwater habitat. Be sure to share your creation with a friend or family member when it's finished! Ready to learn more about fish? Read more Wonders of the Day! Check out articles about the fish tornado or fish with teeth. After reading, summarize what you read for a friend or family member. What other fish live there?

How about other plants or animals? Ask an adult friend or family member to take you to a nearby lake or river. Our Privacy Notice governs your membership of our Influencer Panel, which you can access here. Our website uses cookies. Like in the offline world, cookies make things better.

To learn more about the cookies we use, check out our Cookies policy. Share your opinion and get rewarded just like cleochip. Sign up to start earning now! Unlike cats and dogs, whose whiskers are made of hair, catfish have special whisker-like feelers made of skin.

Catfish tend to live in dark, murky waters where their vision isn't very useful. Barbels help the fish search out food using their senses of touch and taste.

Though it may seem obvious how the catfish got its name, these barbel whiskers are not the only reason. When caught, catfish make a noise that sounds a bit like a cat purring. But this may be where the similarities between catfish and cats end. Catfish can easily grow to become much larger than a cat, and sometimes even larger than a kid!

Catfish whiskers are full of tiny taste buds to help fish seek out their food. Most catfish prefer the depths of a lake where visibility is low. They are also readily found in murky waters. Because of this, their eyesight is not always helpful in them locating food. It makes the taste buds and small olfactory sensors that can be found on their whiskers essential for them to both survive and thrive. The myth that catfish sting is a common one. Most people are under the impression that when a person has a small piece of the spiny part from the dorsal or pectoral fin puncture their skin that they have been stung.

Likewise, most people also believe that catfish whiskers have the potential to sting people. Neither of these is true. Catfish do not sting, and their whiskers are harmless. A person could easily touch the whiskers on a catfish, and it would feel just like touching the whiskers on a kitten.