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Structured Inquiry Search — preview

• Home
• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata
• Subphylum Vertebrata
• Superclass Gnathostomata
• Class Actinopterygii
• Order Siluriformes
• Family Ictaluridae

• Information
• Pictures
• Classification

By Tanya Dewey

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Siluriformes

Family: Ictaluridae

Members of this Family

The North American freshwater catfishes is a fish family found only in freshwater rivers and lakes of North America from southern Canada to Guatemala. There are about 45 species. Members of this family have no scales on their bodies and have 8 barbels near their mouths. They can grow up to 1.6 meters and over 50 kilograms but many species are small, weighing up to half a kilogram. These catfish are generally bottom-feeders and scavengers.

For More Information

Find Ictaluridae information at

• Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

To cite this page: Dewey, T. . "Ictaluridae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 13, 2012 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ictaluridae.html

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
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