Catfish are bony flat head fishes with cylindrical bodies. They live in freshwater such as rivers, streams and are typically found near the bottom of the water.
The male and female Catfishes looks very similar and might be difficult to differentiate except you know what to look out for.
If you want to catch them or raise them you need to know their difference.
You may want to avoid
catching a female fish that is real plump since she is probably holding many eggs.
When raising catfish, you will need to know the difference between male and female in
order to make sure that they are able to procreate.
Below are some of the things to look out for:
1. The adult male catfish is narrow and smaller than the female catfish.
The female catfish can grow about 1 inch larger than the male.
2. The female catfish will be wider than the male by one and half inches in the belly area. That extra space is what the female uses in carrying it’s eggs. The female catfish is rounder than the male.
3. The male catfish has a larger and wider head. It can be up to 1 inch larger than that of the female
4. Check out the dorsal fins of catfish. Male catfish will have longer fins than that of females. Males will also have brighter colored fins.
5. Look at the openings on the catfish belly. Both will have two openings at the lower belly, one for the anus and the other for the genitals. Male genitals are raised and shaped like a nipple. The female catfish genital area has an opening that is rounded. Right before spawning, the female genital area will be reddish and swollen.