Since a lot of anglers consider catfish a nuisance and regard them as a “trash fish”, a lot of people assume that catfish are non-edible. However, there are many freshwater catfish that are widely known to be edible. So, can you eat saltwater catfish?
The answer here greatly depends on the species of catfish in question. There are tons of saltwater catfish species out there and many of them are worth the try. However, some species can be more delicious while others are of a lower “meat per trouble” or just too tiny to bother fishing for.
If you want to know more about saltwater catfish, what they taste like, and the most worthy species to try, keep on reading this guide!
Are Saltwater Catfish Edible?
The short answer to this question is yes, saltwater catfish are safe to eat and are considered completely edible.
This is because for a fish to be edible, it only needs to have internal parts that aren’t poisonous. Yet, this has nothing to do with the taste and or complexity of cleaning.
In other words, while most saltwater catfish are quite edible, not many of them are actually worth eating.
This is because some saltwater catfish don’t taste good at all and there are only a few species out there that are worth trying.
Not only that, but the cleaning process of catfish in general, whether they’re saltwater or freshwater, is quite tedious and extremely messy, which makes some saltwater catfish not worth the effort.
Moreover, some saltwater catfish species have too little meat for the amount of effort they need to catch and clean.
For that reason, a lot of anglers, catfish are quite fun to catch because they put on a good show while fighting. However, a lot of them simply throw it back in water instead of taking it back home for cooking.
Are Saltwater Catfish Poisonous?
Another reason why a lot of anglers question the convenience of saltwater catfish is that they’re poisonous.
However, unlike what many people think, being poisonous doesn’t necessarily mean that the fish is non-edible.
On one hand, saltwater catfish have barbed spines on their dorsal fins that produce venom for self-defense. If a creature, humans included, touches these spikes, catfish stings them with those spines. The stings are quite painful but rarely fatal.
On the other hand, the internal organs of the catfish, as well as its meat, aren’t poisonous, and since these sharp spines are removed earlier, you shouldn’t worry about eating the meat.
Yet, this also adds to how exhausting it is to clean the fish and prepare it for eating, as you’ll need to avoid these hard spines before you reach the meat.
How to Safely Handle Saltwater Catfish
One thing to keep in mind while trying to catch saltwater fish is that their barbed spikes will even pierce through gloves, so they can be quite difficult to handle. However, you can deal with them safely using pliers.
Popular Saltwater Catfish Species
If you’re fishing off the coasts of North America, there are two species of saltwater catfish that you should keep in mind.
Both of these saltwater catfish are safe to eat, although there might be a few differences between the two. Here’s a quick look at each one of them:
Hardhead Catfish
These are the most commonly found species around the coasts of North America. They’re characterized by their hard bony plate that covers their heads and all the way to the dorsal fins.
The fish typically grows to about 12 lbs with a maximum length of about 25 inches. They also have a brownish to grayish body depending on their habitat and diet.
Gafftop (Sail) Catfish
These are usually smaller than hardhead catfish, weighing a maximum of about 8 to 9 lbs. They’re also less common.
They exist in the same spots as hardhead catfish and feed on the same kinds of food. Similar to most other species of catfish, this one will eat just about any kind of bait you throw at it.
They have a bluish greenish back and also sting using their barbed dorsal fins like the hardheads, inflicting a lot of pain.
What Do Saltwater Catfish Taste Like?
Of course, the taste of saltwater catfish is simply a matter of personal preference from one person to the other.
However, a lot of people generally agree that saltwater catfish taste like ocean fish, such as ocean trouts, which are characterized by being a bit fuller with a fair level of saltiness.
However, for saltwater catfish to taste mild, they need to eat fresh foods and live in relatively clean water.
Since they don’t mind living in murky water with a lot of garbage, they typically have a strong fishy and muddy flavor that a lot of people don’t enjoy.
Keeping all the effort to catch and clean the fish while avoiding its poisonous barbs, it’s clear to assume that saltwater catfish are not worth the effort.
How Do Saltwater Catfish Compare to Freshwater Catfish?
On the other hand, freshwater catfish taste a little milder and less fishy when compared to saltwater alternatives. They’re also not as salty as saltwater catfish.
Apart from that, both saltwater and freshwater catfish share similar features when it comes to their fighting nature as well as the presence of sharp spikes with venom that inflicts a lot of pain after stings.
Wrap Up
There you have it! A brief guide that walks you through everything you need to know about the edibility of saltwater catfish.
As you can see, the majority of the fish species are edible. However, unlike the more popular freshwater catfish, the taste and the meat per trouble worth of saltwater catfish varies significantly from one species to the other.
The sail catfish and hardhead catfish are both edible but they also inflict poisonous stings due to their barbs, so you have to be careful while cutting them.