National Catfish Month is observed in August every year and it encourages everyone to enjoy a fish that’s high in Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin B-12, and lean protein. It’s a fish that can be grilled, broiled, or breaded and deep-fried with relative ease. Catfish has a sweet but mild flavor, is less flaky and denser than other types of whitefish, and makes for some great summer meals.

That’s why everyone should at least think about observing this month, especially if they’re a fan of catfish or other types of whitefish. We find that there are few things finer than fried catfish served with hush puppies and coleslaw.

The History of National Catfish Month

Even though we’re not entirely sure which year this month was created, we do know that it was established sometime towards the end of the 1980s. It was created to support the catfish industry and to spread the news about catfish to consumers in the United States. This month has since been proven to have had a positive impact on catfish sales in the U.S.

Delicious Facts About Catfish

We decided to research some great catfish facts to serve up to everyone reading this article. We don’t think that people know very much about these fish, so we think the following factoids will prove to be most educational. At least, that’s our hope.

• Catfish can survive in water that’s just above freezing and in water that’s warm as well.
• Catfish have an extremely sophisticated sense of hearing.
• The largest catfish ever caught was a Mekong Giant Catfish. It weighed almost 650 pounds.
• The Asian Stone Mini Catfish is one of the smallest catfish species in the world. It’s only an inch long.
• A catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. That is more than twice the amount humans have!
• Male sea catfish carry fertilized eggs in their mouths.
• Farmed catfish are raised in water ponds that are anywhere from 4 to 6 feet deep.
• A single catfish can lay up to 4,000 eggs a year per pound of body weight.

Observing National Catfish Month

In our estimation, eating more catfish during this month is the best way to observe it. As we said earlier, catfish can be cooked and served in a variety of different ways. People can make Lemon-Pepper Catfish, Catfish Tacos, Scalloped Catfish Au Gratin, or even Catfish Cakes (like Salmon Cakes). As people enjoy their catfish, they should take the time to use the hashtag #CatfishMonth to let us all know their favorite way of preparing this fish.