Do Catfish Bite?
Catfish are a really popular fish for anglers, and they can be great for anglers of all experiences to catch. However, they can be pretty big, and, well – the name cat kinda implies an animal with sharp, scary teeth. Is that true? Really, what we care about is do catfish bite?
Well, frankly, no! If you’re wondering whether catfish have teeth and whether they’re likely to take a finger off, then we’ve got the answers for you!
Do Catfish Have Teeth?
Yes, catfish actually do have teeth! They’re omnivorous fish, which means that they’ll eat both plants and animals – such as other fish. However, they don’t have big, sharp teeth, if that’s your worry – they’re actually quite small, albeit thick. They’re actually pretty dull – much unlike the sharp fangs that you might be led to expect by the name “catfish”!
So, yes, catfish definitely do have teeth – but you won’t find rows of razor-sharp teeth in the mouth of a catfish. Instead, much smaller, blunter teeth. If you were to run your hand over them, you’d likely find that they have a texture somewhat similar to sandpaper – very rough and coarse. They’re not much good for ripping food apart, to tell the truth – but then again, that’s not what they’re there for.
What Are Their Teeth For?
As previously mentioned, catfish are omnivores. This essentially means that they’ll eat pretty much anything that they fancy, as long as they can actually manage to swallow it! Much like many other aquatic animals, they don’t actually use their teeth to rip and tear their food apart – their teeth are much too dull and short to be able to do this. So, just what are catfish teeth for, then?
Well, catfish actually use their teeth mostly just to stop their prey from getting away! While their teeth aren’t sharp, they are pretty useful for getting a good hold of something – and once a hungry catfish has got hold of something it thinks it can eat, it’s not letting go!
As a catfish can’t really bite or chew anything, it’s restricted to only eating things that it can swallow whole. They suck and gulp to eat, instead of biting food into smaller chunks to eat as we do.
Another thing that helps catfish is the direction in which their teeth grow. As catfish teeth tilt inwards, they also make it harder for prey to get out of the catfish mouth once it finds its unfortunate way in there.
What About My fingers?
Rest assured, your fingers are safe from a catfish. Even in the highly unlikely event that a catfish mistakes your finger for prey – a sausage fish, perhaps – it simply isn’t equipped to bite your finger off! It doesn’t have teeth capable of piercing through your flesh and bone, nor muscles strong enough to rip your finger bones out of the socket. Phew!
However, that doesn’t mean that you’re safe to go wiggling your fingers around near a catfish – just because they can’t eat your finger (and probably don’t want to even try), it doesn’t mean that they can’t cause a bit of damage to your precious digits!
Instead of teeth capable of biting your finger off, what the catfish does have is some very rough and abrasive teeth that will scratch your finger up – perhaps quite badly! After all, a rough, sandpapery set of teeth in the mouth of an angry catfish could cause you quite a bit of pain, and maybe even bleeding. You most likely won’t suffer any long term damage, but it probably won’t be a fun experience at all either!
Can They Hurt You?
Well, that depends on your definition of the word “hurt”! Also, it depends on if you hold them right.
Is a catfish going to bite your fingers off? No. Simply put, that’s not going to happen. Their teeth aren’t big, strong, or sharp enough to do that. Besides this, you’re probably not going to be wiggling your fingers anywhere near a catfish mouth – unless you’re noodling!
If you’re noodling for catfish, then that’s a different story. You’re still not going to lose any fingers to a catfish, so don’t worry about that – but you might well end up with an annoyed catfish thrashing around on your arm, sanding down as it goes. You could end up with some marks on your arm, to say the least!
One thing that’s also dangerous about catfish is the fact that many species of catfish are actually venomous! They don’t secrete this venom through biting, so don’t worry about that. However, they do release venom from spines in their fins.
These can be really nasty if they break your skin. They can be really, really painful, and can also lead to some really nasty infections. Not to mention the fact that catfish venom has a really nasty side effect of increasing blood flow to the injured area – meaning that you’ll possibly lose a lot of blood.
If you get punctured by one of these spines on the catfish, you should IMMEDIATELY seek emergency assistance – don’t hesitate to call 911. You’ll need to be seen by medical professionals as soon as you possibly can, as the consequences could be pretty nasty!
Do They Attack Humans?
Mostly, no. They’ve got very little to attack humans in the wild – and while it’s never possible to say for certain that a certain type of animal won’t attack you, it’s actually pretty rare for a catfish to attack humans.
However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t put up a fight if you start messing with them! They won’t just take it lying down – so if you’re going noodling for catfish, you might want to think about wearing something to protect yourself.
Noodling Sleeve
These are pretty simple things, but they’re a really good idea if you’re going noodling for catfish!
They’re a sleeve that covers your entire forearm, right up to your elbow. They’re made of various materials, and they’re all intended to be tough enough to withstand the rough, abrasive teeth that a catfish has. Perfect for preventing catfish from making marks and even drawing blood on your arms!
Conclusion
Catfish are often pretty big, hefty looking fish – but don’t worry, they’re not going to try to eat you! They could cause you some quite nasty scratches, however, and make sure to stay away from one of the over 1,200 types of catfish that are venomous!
