'Carpe Diem' does not mean 'fish of the day'!
Often the mere sight of Latin combined into pairs of tongue twisting scientific names laid out before the hobbyist will cause them, if unfamiliar with this form of organization, to recoil in horror or at best throw up their hands in exasperation. That said, this form of classification remains the best we have and is often useful in getting the basics right for the care of a certain fish. In an attempt to help, we present here an introductory guide to catfish families. Notes are given about some of the features used to tell different families apart, click here if you need some help with these anatomical terms. In addition if you're not too sure about classification (terms like family, species, genus etc) click here. For an excellent introduction / overview, check out this article, failing all that, try the glossary.
 All catfish Families | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | AILIIDAE Show all species of AILIIDAE | /siluriformes/ailiidae/eutropiichthys/vacha/1.jpg "Common member of the family ailiidae") | ||
| 2. | AKYSIDAE Asian Stream Catfishes Show all species of AKYSIDAE |  | ||
| 3. | AMBLYCIPITIDAE Loach Catfishes Show all species of AMBLYCIPITIDAE |  | ||
| 4. | AMPHILIIDAE African Hillstream Catfishes Show all species of AMPHILIIDAE | /siluriformes/amphiliidae/amphilius/platychir/1.jpg "Common member of the family amphiliidae") | ||
| 5. | ANCHARIIDAE Madagascan Catfishes Show all species of ANCHARIIDAE | /siluriformes/anchariidae/gogo/ornatus/1.jpg "Common member of the family anchariidae") | ||
| 6. | ANDINICHTHYIDAE Show all species of ANDINICHTHYIDAE |  | ||
| 7. | ARIIDAE Sea Catfishes Show all species of ARIIDAE |  | ||
| 8. | ASPREDINIDAE Banjo Catfishes Show all species of ASPREDINIDAE |  | ||
| 9. | ASTEPHIDAE Show all species of ASTEPHIDAE | /siluriformes/astephidae/astephus/antiquus/1.jpg "Common member of the family astephidae") | ||
| 10. | ASTROBLEPIDAE South American Hillstream Catfish Show all species of ASTROBLEPIDAE |  | ||
| 11. | AUCHENIPTERIDAE Driftwood Catfishes Show all species of AUCHENIPTERIDAE |  | ||
| 12. | AUCHENOGLANIDIDAE Show all species of AUCHENOGLANIDIDAE |  | ||
| 13. | AUSTROGLANIDIDAE Southern Rock Catfish Show all species of AUSTROGLANIDIDAE | /siluriformes/austroglanididae/austroglanis/gilli/1.jpg "Common member of the family austroglanididae") | ||
| 14. | BAGRIDAE Asian Antennae Catfishes Show all species of BAGRIDAE |  | ||
| 15. | CALLICHTHYIDAE Armoured Catfishes Show all species of CALLICHTHYIDAE |  | ||
| 16. | CETOPSIDAE Whale Catfishes Show all species of CETOPSIDAE |  | ||
| 17. | CHACIDAE Frogmouth Catfishes Show all species of CHACIDAE |  | ||
| 18. | CLARIIDAE Walking Catfish Show all species of CLARIIDAE |  | ||
| 19. | CLAROTEIDAE Claroteid Catfishes Show all species of CLAROTEIDAE | /siluriformes/claroteidae/phyllonemus/typus/1.jpg "Common member of the family claroteidae") | ||
| 20. | CRANOGLANIDIDAE Armour head Catfish, Chinese Catfish Show all species of CRANOGLANIDIDAE | /siluriformes/cranoglanididae/cranoglanis/multiradiata/1.jpg "Common member of the family cranoglanididae") | ||
| 21. | DIPLOMYSTIDAE Patagonian Catfishes Show all species of DIPLOMYSTIDAE | /siluriformes/diplomystidae/diplomystes/camposensis/1.jpg "Common member of the family diplomystidae") | ||
| 22. | DORADIDAE Talking Catfishes Show all species of DORADIDAE |  | ||
| 23. | HEPTAPTERIDAE Three-barbeled catfish Show all species of HEPTAPTERIDAE | /siluriformes/heptapteridae/heptapterus/mustelinus/1.jpg "Common member of the family heptapteridae") | ||
| 24. | HETEROPNEUSTIDAE Show all species of HETEROPNEUSTIDAE |  | ||
| 25. | HORABAGRIDAE Show all species of HORABAGRIDAE | /siluriformes/horabagridae/horabagrus/brachysoma/1.jpg "Common member of the family horabagridae") | ||
| 26. | HYPSIDORIDAE Show all species of HYPSIDORIDAE | /siluriformes/hypsidoridae/hypsidoris/farsonensis/1.jpg "Common member of the family hypsidoridae") | ||
| 27. | ICTALURIDAE North American Catfishes Show all species of ICTALURIDAE |  | ||
| 28. | KRYPTOGLANIDAE Show all species of KRYPTOGLANIDAE | /siluriformes/kryptoglanidae/kryptoglanis/shajii/1.jpg "Common member of the family kryptoglanidae") | ||
| 29. | LACANTUNIIDAE Lacantún catfishes Show all species of LACANTUNIIDAE | /siluriformes/lacantuniidae/lacantunia/enigmatica/1.jpg "Common member of the family lacantuniidae") | ||
| 30. | LORICARIIDAE Suckermouth Armoured Catfishes Show all species of LORICARIIDAE |  | ||
| 31. | MALAPTERURIDAE Electric Catfishes Show all species of MALAPTERURIDAE |  | ||
| 32. | MOCHOKIDAE Upside Down Catfish Show all species of MOCHOKIDAE |  | ||
| 33. | NEMATOGENYIDAE Worm Catfishes Show all species of NEMATOGENYIDAE | /siluriformes/nematogenyidae/nematogenys/inermis/1.jpg "Common member of the family nematogenyidae") | ||
| 34. | PANGASIIDAE Shark Catfishes Show all species of PANGASIIDAE |  | ||
| 35. | PHREATOBIIDAE Show all species of PHREATOBIIDAE | /siluriformes/phreatobiidae/phreatobius/dracunculus/1.jpg "Common member of the family phreatobiidae") | ||
| 36. | PIMELODIDAE South American Antennae Catfishes Show all species of PIMELODIDAE |  | ||
| 37. | PLOTOSIDAE Eel Tailed Catfish Show all species of PLOTOSIDAE |  | ||
| 38. | PSEUDOPIMELODIDAE Bumblebee Catfish Show all species of PSEUDOPIMELODIDAE | /siluriformes/pseudopimelodidae/lophiosilurus/apurensis/1.jpg "Common member of the family pseudopimelodidae") | ||
| 39. | SCHILBEIDAE Schilbe Catfishes Show all species of SCHILBEIDAE |  | ||
| 40. | SCOLOPLACIDAE Spiny Dwarf Catfishes Show all species of SCOLOPLACIDAE |  | ||
| 41. | SILURIDAE Sheath Catfishes Show all species of SILURIDAE |  | ||
| 42. | SISORIDAE Sisorid Catfishes Show all species of SISORIDAE |  | ||
| 43. | TRICHOMYCTERIDAE Parasitic Catfish Show all species of TRICHOMYCTERIDAE |  | ||
| Total of 43 families | ||||