How many prominent barbels are equipped around the mouth area of *Clarias batrachus*?
Answer
Eight
The walking catfish possesses eight prominent, fleshy, whisker-like appendages surrounding its mouth area, which are known as barbels. These structures are paramount sensory organs, especially important because the fish often inhabits dark or turbid waters where visibility is poor. The barbels function to detect chemical cues in the water, sense vibrations, and locate food sources efficiently. Ichthyologists rely on the precise arrangement and relative size of these barbels as key diagnostic characteristics when differentiating between various catfish species.
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