What Kind of Fish Does a Catfish Eat?

Catfish are mostly freshwater fish, although some species live in the ocean. Catfish use their barbels, which look like cat whiskers, to feel for food as they swim along lakes, streams and river bottoms. Unlike other fish, catfish don't have scales and are negatively buoyant, meaning they sink, making them bottom-feeders. Their large, flattened head allows catfish to dig through sediment for food. They feed by suction, expanding their mouths widely when gulping large food. Catfish's varied diet includes several types of fish.

  1. Channel Catfish

    • Channel catfish, the most common freshwater catfish, are abundant in large streams throughout much of the United States. Channel catfish mostly search for food at night. Younger Channel catfish, up to 4 inches long, eat small insects. Adults are largely omnivorous. They feed on small fish, including minnows, and decaying fish. They also eat insects, mollusks, crustaceans and plants.

    Flathead Catfish

    • Flathead catfish have a flat head. They live in fresh bodies of water from the lower Great Lakes through the Mississippi River watershed to the Gulf states. Flathead catfish can grow to 4 feet and weigh more than 100 lbs. This species differs from other catfish in that they are not scavengers. Young Flatheads feed on worms, insects and crayfish. Adult Flatheads eat only live fish including carp, sunfish, largemouth bass and other catfish.

    Yellow and Brown Bullhead Catfish

    • Yellow and brown Bullhead catfish are mostly found in clear lakes and shallow bays in the eastern, Midwestern, and southern United States. These bottom feeders are most active at night. They eat submerged vegetation, crayfish, live and dead minnows, shrimp, nightcrawlers, insects, snails and worms. Bullheads do not grow as larges as many other species of catfish. Anglers describe Bullheads as easy to catch because of their willingness to take baited worms.

    Armoured Catfish

    • Structures like this make good hiding places for aquarium catfish.

      Armoured catfish are smaller than other varieties and do well in home freshwater aquariums. Like most other catfish, armoured catfish are bottom feeders who will forage for food in the bottom of the tank. They need food that settles to the bottom, including shrimp pellets and brine shrimp. They also eat algae. Tank catfish live in harmony with most other freshwater fish, except Cichlids. Avoid housing these fish together as Cichlids are territorial.