What are the main functions of the whiskers on a catfish?

They are actually called barbels, they house the sensory organ for taste. The fish uses them to search for food in murky waters. Other species with barbels include goatfish, sturgeons, hagfish, carp etc. read more

Catfish mainly feed off of their sense of smell. But often it just gets them in the vicinity of food, not right on top of it. So they use their whiskers to feel for the food the same way people would use their fingers. read more

Although catfish have what looks like whiskers, they are actuallybarbels. The barbells have taste receptors on them, so a catfishcan find food in it's natural, murky habitat. read more

Though it may seem obvious how the catfish got its name, these barbel whiskers are not the only reason. When caught, catfish make a noise that sounds a bit like a cat purring. But this may be where the similarities between catfish and cats end. read more