In the Southern United States, catfish may be known by a variety of slang names, such as "mud cat", "polliwogs"

Officials in Kentucky said 25 people are facing charges in connection with the illegal harvesting of more than 300,000 pounds of catfish. The 10-month investigation was carried out in coordination with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife game wardens and Fisheries Division employees.The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources said that a statewide investigation, dubbed “Operation River Raid,” uncovered the illegal harvest of catfish from public waterways. Officials said that the catfish were then transported and sold to unregulated or illegally operated pay lakes — private lakes stocked with fish where patrons pay for a set amount of fishing time

More than 700 criminal charges across six Kentucky counties

The operation is expected to result in more than 700 criminal charges across six Kentucky counties: Livingston, Marshall, Boyd, Bath, Lawrence and Powell.  Investigators are said to have used surveillance, intelligence sharing and field inspections to gather evidence Some species have flexible teeth that bend as the fish scrape algae and other food particles from rocks, preventing wear and tear.New species of catfish are regularly being discovered, and by 2030 the number of identified species may reach 5,000.

Catfish are named for their prominent barbels,

It is known that Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes /sɪˈljʊərɪfɔːrmiːz/ or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Catfish are named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, though not all catfish have prominent barbels. All siluriformes lack scales, including both the armour-plated and naked species .Catfish are sometimes colloquially known as "swimming tongues", because their bodies are covered in hundreds of thousands of tastebuds

The three largest species alive

 This order of fish are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder. Catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia, the wels catfish of Eurasia, and the piraíba of South America, to detritivorous and scavenging bottom feeders, down to the tiny ectoparasitic species known as the candiru. The hearing of some catfish species is so good that it can be used as a form of echolocation in dark, murky waters.

In the Southern United States, catfish may be known by a variety of slang names, such as "mud cat", "polliwogs", or "chuckleheads".Such names are regional and unstandardized. For instance, "chucklehead" in one region may refer to a bullhead catfish but indicate blue catfish elsewhere Catfish typically live between 15 and 20 years, but some can live up to 60 years, growing to lengths of 5m.3 

The same food items as bream

Most catfish prefer many of the same food items as bream, although they are opportunistic and will rarely pass up any meal. The "whiskers" are loaded with sensory cells that enable catfish to locate their food by smell. Take advantage of this by using baits with strong odors: chicken liver or gizzards, shrimp, cut mullet and commercial stinkbaits. Other baits work well too, especially earthworms, and occasionally freshwater clams. Many catfish become active just before dusk and at night, and fishing success is best during these times. Fish on the bottom with a sturdy #2 to #4 hook and a heavy split shot sinker.

Economic contributions of this industry

It is noteworthy that the catfish industry is the largest U.S. aquaculture sector and a major contributor to the rural economies of the Southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Economic contributions of this industry to the tristate region were estimated using an input-output modeling approach with the IMPLAN database and software (Impact Analysis for Planning MIG, Inc.). An analysis-by-parts approach was employed as the IMPLAN database does not disaggregate the catfish sector from other livestock industries which have expenditure patterns that differ substantially from those of catfish. All major actors of the catfish industry, i.e. feed mills, hatcheries, foodfish farms, and processing plants, were surveyed to obtain their expenditure patterns and output in terms of sales. 

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