Catfish, Chinese Farm Raised IQF
Catfish,
Domestic Farm Raised IQF
Catfish is a popular dish in the American South in
states such as Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and
Florida. Many of these states and others raise catfish commercially on
catfish “farms” to sell to large food corporations, with Mississippi
currently being the largest producer.
The
catfish family is extremely large and the physical size of the any given
catfish can range anywhere from an inch long or up to 3 meters long,
known as the Mekong giant catfish. The MeKong Catfish found in Southeast
Asia is the largest freshwater fish known to man.
Catfish are named for their barbels, commonly called
“whiskers,” which give them a cat-like appearance. The barbels are used
to hunt for food in dark, murky water. Even though the species is named
after its barbels not all species of catfish have them.
Catfish are negatively buoyant, which means that
they will sink due to their small gas bladder and bony, heavy head.
Catfish typically have a long, cylindrical body and a relatively flat
belly, or ventrum. This allows the catfish to engage in benthic feeding,
meaning that they eat primarily from the river, stream, and lake
bottoms. Catfish also have flattened head which allow them to dig
through sediment for food and serves to let them move more easily
through the water.
