Silurus glanis - Wels catfish

Taxonomy

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Elasmobranchii

Order: Siluriformes

Family: Siluridae

Catfish are slimy, scaleless fish that live in lakes and slow-flowing rivers; they can grow to a metre long. A 62lb 0oz (28.123kg) specimen caught in 1997 by Mr R. Garner while fishing at Withy Pool, Henlow, in Bedfordshire currently holds the British rod-caught catfish record.

Catfish have been introduced into several stillwater fisheries in the British Isles, including some in Wales. They are an alien species to this country, and a keeping licence is now required under the Import of Live Fish Act (ILFA).