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Catfish Fun Facts During the 19th century, giant blue catfish weighing from 125 to 200 pounds were reportedly caught on a regular basis. In his book “Steamboating: 65 Years on Missouri’s Rivers,” Capt. William Heckman described a 315-pound blue cat caught just after the Civil War. The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. The candiru, a small, South American catfish is the only vertebrate parasite of people. It has been known to enter the urethras of bathers and swimming animals. The walking catfish moves across land from one body of water to another. It uses its pectoral fins like legs and has a modified gill chamber to get oxygen from the air. The largest confirmed record in the U.S. was a blue catfish weighing 150 pounds in 1879. The largest known blue caught in Tennessee was a 130-pounder, fished from the Fort Loudon Reservoir in 1976. The big blue in the Aquarium's Nickajack Lake exhibit weighs more than 90 pounds. A female blue catfish can produce as many as 100,000 eggs at a time. The electric catfish, native to Africa, is capable of generating up to 350 volts. The glass catfish is mostly transparent and often seen in home aquariums. Catfish are also included in aquariums as scavengers, to help keep the tank clean. # # # Click here for National Catfish Month press kit and downloadable images w/ cutlines. The Tennessee Aquarium inspires wonder and appreciation for the natural world. Admission is $17.95 per adult and $9.50 per child, ages 3-12. Each ticket purchased helps support Aquarium conservation programs. The IMAX® 3D Theater is next door to the Aquarium. Ticket prices are $7.95 per adult and $5.50 per child. Aquarium/IMAX combo tickets are $21.95 for adults and $12.50 for children. Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.tnaqua.org or by phone at 1-800-262-0695. The Aquarium, located on the banks of the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, is a non-profit organization. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Aquarium and IMAX are accessible to people with disabilities. Members enjoy unlimited visits and other benefits. Call 267-FISH to join.