Home›Species›Taxonomy›SiluriformesTaxaSiluriformesFish OrdersReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedSiluriformes is a diverse order of ray-finned fish commonly known as catfish, named for the prominent barbels many species have that resemble a cat whiskers, though not all catfish carry them prominently. All members of the order lack scales, instead having smooth skin or armor-plated bodies, and the order is defined by shared features of the skull and swim bladder, ranging in size from giants such as the Mekong giant catfish and the wels catfish down to the tiny ectoparasitic candiru.FactsSiluriformesConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsTaxonomic RankWell-attestedOrder 1Scientific NameWell-attestedSiluriformes 1Member Species/Taxa CountWell-attested3093 1Geographic DistributionWell-attestedInland or coastal waters of every continent except Antarctica 1Defining CharacteristicsWell-attestedScaleless, with smooth skin or armour-plated bodies 1IdentificationDistinguishing AppearanceWell-attestedMost have a cylindrical body with a flattened underside 1ClassificationLiving or ExtinctWell-attestedYes 2SiluriformesFilter Results8 entriesCommon GroupAllCatfish (Siluriformes) (8)HabitatAllFreshwater (2)Lake (1)River (5)Conservation StatusAllLeast Concern (7)Vulnerable (1)EcosystemAllAmazon Rainforest (1)Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (1)Great Lakes (1)Lake Tanganyika (1)Everyday GroupAllCatfish (Siluriformes) (8)DietAllCarnivore (2)Herbivore (1)Omnivore (3)Piscivore (1)System (Realm)AllFreshwater (8)Relationship to PeopleAllHunted or Fished (3)Invasive or Introduced Species (1)Kept as Pets (3)Living or ExtinctAllYes (6)Where It LivesAllAfrica (1)Albania (1)Algeria (1)Antigua and Barbuda (1)Armenia (1)Australia (1)Austria (1)Belarus (2)Belgium (2)Bolivia (1)Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)Brazil (4)Bulgaria (2)Burundi (1)Canada (1)Chile (1)China (3)Colombia (1)Cote d'Ivoire (1)Croatia (2)Cuba (1)Cyprus (2)Czechia (2)Democratic Republic of the Congo (1)Denmark (1)Dominican Republic (1)Ecuador (1)Egypt (1)Estonia (2)Fiji (1)France (2)Germany (1)Greece (2)Guatemala (1)Haiti (1)Honduras (1)Hungary (2)India (1)Indonesia (1)Italy (2)Japan (2)Kazakhstan (1)Kenya (1)Latvia (1)Lithuania (2)Luxembourg (1)Mexico (2)Moldova (1)Mongolia (1)Netherlands (1)North America (1)North Macedonia (2)Norway (1)Peru (1)Poland (1)Portugal (1)Romania (1)Russia (1)Slovakia (1)Slovenia (1)South America (2)South Asia (1)South Korea (1)Spain (2)Sweden (1)Switzerland (1)Syria (1)Tajikistan (1)Tanzania (1)Tunisia (1)Turkey (1)United Kingdom (2)United States (2)Venezuela (1)Zambia (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 8African butter catfishSiluriformesAncistrus cirrhosusSiluriformesBagarius bagariusSiluriformesChannel CatfishSiluriformesFirewood catfishSiluriformesPimelodus pohliSiluriformesSynodontis petricolaSiluriformesWels CatfishSiluriformesConnectionsParent Taxon OfAfrican butter catfish, Species Well-attested Source African butter catfish (Wikidata)tier 2Ancistrus cirrhosus, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Ancistrus cirrhosusBagarius bagarius, Species Well-attested Source Bagarius bagarius (Wikidata)tier 2Channel Catfish, Species Well-attested Source Channel Catfish (Wikidata)tier 2Firewood catfish, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Firewood catfishPimelodus pohli, Species Well-attested Source Pimelodus pohli (Wikidata)tier 2Synodontis petricola, Species Well-attested Source Synodontis petricola (Wikidata)tier 2Wels Catfish, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Wels CatfishIn the Other AtlasesFound InAntarcticaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Catfish, WikipediaLead paragraphCatfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish of the order SiluriformesClassificationabout 3,093 extant species have been describedDistribution and habitatCatfish live inland or in coastal waters of every continent except Antarctica.Description, scalesAll Siluriformes lack scales, instead possessing either smooth skin or armour-plated bodies.Description, body shapeCatfish have a variety of body shapes, though most have a cylindrical body with a flattened ventrum to allow for benthic feeding.In Group: Carp, Catfish and Tetra Orders (Ostariophysi), LeadCatfish are a diverse group of ray-finned fish of the order Siluriformes (historically Nematognathi).View the Source2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)tier 2Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ59576, descriptionView the SourceWikidata: SiluriformesWikidata Q59576, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the SourceWikidata: Wels CatfishParent Taxon Of: Wels Catfish, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceChannel Catfish (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Channel Catfish, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceAfrican butter catfish (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: African butter catfish, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceBagarius bagarius (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Bagarius bagarius, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceSynodontis petricola (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Synodontis petricola, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourcePimelodus pohli (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Pimelodus pohli, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Ancistrus cirrhosusParent Taxon Of: Ancistrus cirrhosus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Firewood catfishParent Taxon Of: Firewood catfish, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. 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