Creatures Around The Lake: Catfish

 When the water begins to warm up in Haller Lake, the catfish begin to spawn. The male prepares the nest, the female lays 8000 to 15000 eggs, then the male defends the nest until the fry leave.

Catfish have soft skin, without scales.  They have four barbels (whiskers) around the mouth. Taste buds are distributed over its entire body, but especially on the barbels. These barbels do not sting, as often thought, but the catfish does have spines on its fins that can puncture skin if the fish is mishandled. 
Catfish eat just about anything that will fit in its mouth; fish, snakes, insects, plants, algae, seeds, nuts, and even birds and small mammals!
There is a large, underwater rock near the shoreline in Haller Lake that has a cave-like hollow in it.  Each year, this cave is a catfish nest site. A few of us have wandered too close to this rock when the male was guarding it, and experienced his soft, fleshy head hitting our leg.  No harm done, but certainly an unexpected surprise!  This same male will also take food, like a slug or raw hamburger, from your hand if you wait patiently in the water.  Their sense of smell is so intense that they are nicknamed, "the swimming tongue"!
- Susan Derge