What does the Mekong catfish eat?

As babies, they feed on zooplankton in the river and are known to be cannibalistic. After about a year, they become herbivores, and eat plants and algae. The Mekong giant catfish has one of the fastest growth rates of any fish in the world.

Is the giant Mekong catfish endangered?

It is already critically endangered due to overfishing and development – now the dams along the Mekong might finish it off completely. The giant catfish is migratory and always spawns in the same place. But the new dams might block its journeys up and down the Mekong and make it impossible to replenish the species.

Can a catfish swallow a human?

No, despite what you may have heard, there aren’t. This is a myth, along with age-old claims that giant anacondas or piranhas eat men. People, especially the Caboclos in Amazonia and natives of other parts of South America and in Asia, love to tell these blood-curdling stories!

How many Mekong giant catfish are left?

Indeed there has been a dramatic drop in the Mekong River Catfish population of over 80% since 1990, and sadly there are now estimated to be just a few hundred left living in the wild.

What is the best bait for Mekong catfish?

To fish for our Mekong catfish we recommend pellet or boilies and pop-ups, also maize fished in conjunction with a method feeder. Using a marker float find a plateau and fish over this feature using a float set at around one meter, loose feed pellet every five minutes feeding little and often brings the best results.

How long can a catfish live?

Wels catfish: 60 yearsCatfish / Lifespan

Do catfish eat?

Catfish are primarily omnivorous bottom feeders that feed at night. Common food items include aquatic plants and seeds, fish, mollusks, insects and their larvae, and crustaceans.

Has catfish killed anyone?

Most catfish use their venom for defense. Some in North America can inflict a sting that humans notice. Elsewhere in the world, a few catfish species can even kill humans. The new count of venomous catfish — which may be more than 1,600, the scientists estimate — is much higher than thought.

What is the rarest catfish?

The golden cave catfish (Clarias cavernicola) is a critically endangered species of airbreathing catfish. This cavefish is only known to live in the Aigamas cave, Otjozondjupa region, Namibia.

How do you catch Mekong catfish?