A catfish has more than a quarter of a million taste buds. They’re not just present in its mouth and gills, but on its whiskers, fins, back, belly, sides and tail.
Tiny taste buds, sensory organs comprised of cells that detect the molecules that constitute flavor, are located all over the catfish’s body, but are most concentrated on the four pairs of whiskers around its mouth. These whiskers, called barbells, act as antennae. Along with the thousands of buds along their body, the whiskers allow the fish to not only taste when dinner is nearby, but also hone in on its exact location.
As bottom-dwelling fish that prefer to live in extremely muddy, murky waters , catfish have adapted to finding prey in the dark. Although catfish have sight, they don’t need it to hunt down their food.
Having an abundance of taste buds increases an animal’s ability to detect even trace amounts of food. A highly developed sense of taste is critical for catfish, which do their hunting in extremely muddy, murky waters where visibility is low. Scientists have found that although catfish can catch their prey without visual cues, catfish without functioning taste buds are unable to feed normally.
Picture Credit : Google