Black Spots on Small Cats? Still edible or throw them back?

Caught a sack full of small catfish but they have small black spots on them. There isn't a lot on them, but my question is due to catching some with a lots of spots all over there body. I threw them back but for future reference I would like an opinion about black spots on catfish and eating them.

You ain't from around here are ya?
Them be channel cats. Most all wild caught channels have spots.

This is true^^^. I find the more stagnant the water the more spots they will have. No worries I tae meht lla eht emit and I'm fine... Well I guess lol

These black spots are a fungus that can be found on freshwater fish.


These spots are the normal color of juvenile channel cat.


If it's fungus, like in the first pic, it only affects the skin of the fish. Clean and cook them properly, no worries.

I always thought catfish had spots on them until I caught one that had an abnormal amount of them. I read a post about fish having black spots on them and instantly thought it might have something wrong with it. Well I just ate those fish and the only thing I have is gas.

But I would rather be cautious. I can deal with skin fungus, I don't want to deal with parasites caused from catfish eating bird droppings.

Freckles! I think that's fine.

HaHa we are at the top of the food chain and unfortunately we are what we eat (not that we become parasitic or crappy people of course). Every year the water turkeys show up by the tens of thousands and the catfish are waiting on them in the timber for a meal and we in turn show up in the timber looking for fish. Kind of a symbiotic relationship.

Properly cooked fish and you should have no concerns for parasites, ick, and other such fish maladies. Freshwater ceviche (raw but soaked in fresh lime juice), however, is a roll of the dice (don't do it)! For freshwater ceviche try cubing a hybrid-striped bass into 3-inch cubes, steam the chunks over water laced with crab boil, and then combine with your olives, tomatoes, onion, capers...