Critters All Hail Hardhead Catfish Dads, Which Protect Eggs by Carrying Them in Their Mouths Anglers love to hate this slimy Texas fish, but its parental skills are unmatched.

But dead, that's how this catfish is best. Dead and skeletonized. The hardhead, officially Ariopsis felis, is nicknamed for its hard. armor-like head plate.

Biologists still are unsure what is causing thousands of catfish to die along the Gulf Coast, but officials are warning people to avoid the fish and the waters where they are washing ashore.

A previously unknown virus may be responsible for the mass deaths of hardhead catfish throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Marine scientists with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection ...