European catfish, also called the sheatfish or wels catfish, is a large freshwater fish. It is found in lakes and rivers of central and eastern Europe and western Asia. It occasionally makes its way into the Baltic or the Black Sea. The European catfish may grow more than 10 feet (3 meters) long. The body is stout. It is dark olive-green to black above, paler beneath. Around the wide mouth grow 3 pairs of barbels (fleshy whiskerlike growths), which are used to forage in mud. The European catfish hunts chiefly at night, preying on crustaceans, other fish, frogs, and small birds and mammals.
