Channel Catfish

• It is covered in the sense of taste. Its taste buds are not only in the mouth: they line the barbels, the lips, the fins and practically all of the skin, with tens of thousands spread over the body. It is, literally, a swimming tongue.
• That lets it locate food in murky water and at night without seeing it, following a chemical trail just as a dog follows a scent.
• It is the mainstay species of freshwater aquaculture in the United States, with an industry worth billions of dollars in the southern states.
• Its pectoral and dorsal spines are sharp and carry a mild toxin that causes pain and swelling when it is handled carelessly.
• It has been introduced into Europe, Spain included, and in several river basins it behaves as an invasive species.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)

Habitat and environment

Soft-bottomed rivers, reservoirs and lakes of North America; it prefers water with some current and shelters by day under logs and in crevices

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Ictalurus punctatus

The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.