Just thought it was cool, and was wondering if anyone else has encountered anything like this. I have a 17in channel that I raised from 2in, and he likes to make this crazy noise by repeatedly snapping his jaws together faster than the eye can see. It sounds like a 50cal machine gun burst going off in the distance if you can imagine. He does it mostly on nights that I don't feed him (I feed 3 times weekly), soon after the lights have gone off, almost like he's letting me know he's hungry. I've looked around and haven't found anything like it, lemme know your thoughts.
Snapping Catfish
- Thread starter USFallingFire
- Start date
Can you post some audio of the fish making this noise? If you start feeding the cat after it makes that sound, I believe the fish will learn to associate that noise for food. However, if the sound bothers you, don't do it because the fish will start to do it all the time. I would really like to hear the sounds . 
I have seen channel cats make a grunting noise when i was fishing, mostly the little guys though. I never noticed it coming from their mouths though, I alway's thought it was swim bladder related.
Haha, audio or video is a tall order. He only does it once or twice a week and it lasts for about one second. I'm open to ideas as far as how to catch that, lol. It's totally different from the grunting or "barking", I've heard that a million times. It's more like the popping noise they make when sucking food into their mouths, but about 5-8 times in just over a second.
My LFS used to have a large rtc and albino channel cat. the huge channel was at head level and snapped right next to my head one day and it was quite a surprise. also seen the large rtc do it also. maybe a defense thing? or could be hungry...lol
ive caught some big ones and they can bite @$^&ing HARD lol never seen one snap repeatedly though its alyways seemed to be clamp then slow release of pressure then clamp again. (on my hand lol) but of the thousands ive caught and the few ive kept in aquarium ive never seen that, where are u in il?