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Siluriformes

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Siluriformes 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.

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