Grits are a type of porridge made from coarsely ground dried maize or hominy , the latter being maize that has been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization , with the pericarp (ovary wall) removed. Grits are cooked in warm salted water or milk. They are often served with flavorings as a breakfast dish. Grits can be savory or sweet, with savory seasonings being more common. Grits are similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world, such as polenta and mieliepap . The dish originated in the Southern United States but is now available nationwide. Grits are often part of the dinner entrée shrimp and grits , served primarily in the Southern United States.
39-397: For the corn/maize-based food, see Grits . Gritz may refer to: People [ edit ] Bo Gritz (born 1939), US Army Special Forces officer Other [ edit ] Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz , a 2002 musical album by the rap sextet Nappy Roots Gritz Blitz, a nickname for the 1977 Atlanta Falcons defense that allowed
78-740: A hydrofoil . Some have a mouth that can expand to a large size and contains no incisiform teeth; catfish generally feed through suction or gulping rather than biting and cutting prey. Some families, though, notably the Loricariidae and Astroblepidae , have a suckermouth that allows them to fasten themselves to objects in fast-moving water. Catfish also have a maxilla reduced to a support for barbels ; this means that they are unable to protrude their mouths as other fish such as carp . Catfish may have up to four pairs of barbels - nasal, maxillary (on each side of mouth), and two pairs of chin barbels, though pairs of barbels may be absent depending on
117-464: A bullhead catfish by the nickname "chucklehead", while in another state or region, that nickname refers to the blue catfish. Representatives of the genus Ictalurus have been introduced into European waters in the hope of obtaining a sporting and food resource, but the European stock of American catfishes has not achieved the dimensions of these fish in their native waters and have only increased
156-484: A defense, these spines may be locked into place so that they stick outwards, enabling them to inflict severe wounds. In numerous catfish species, these fin rays can be used to deliver a stinging protein if the fish is irritated; as many as half of all catfish species may be venomous in this fashion, making the Siluriformes overwhelmingly the vertebrate order with the largest number of venomous species. This venom
195-478: A diverse group of ray-finned fish . Named for their prominent barbels , which resemble a cat 's whiskers , catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia , the wels catfish of Eurasia , and the piraíba of South America , to detritivores (species that eat dead material on the bottom), and even to a tiny parasitic species commonly called
234-495: A juvenile obaichthyid lepisosteiform , possibly a junior synonym of Obaichthys . The authors of the original study still stood by their original conclusion based on the absence of important holostean characters, and noted that it could not be a juvenile, since the bones were completely ossified. The taxonomy of catfish is quickly changing. In a 2007 and 2008 paper, Horabagrus , Phreatobius , and Conorhynchos were not classified under any current catfish families. There
273-843: A rate three times faster than that of the past century. In June 2005, researchers named the newest family of catfish, Lacantuniidae , only the third new family of fish distinguished in the last seventy years, the others being the coelacanth in 1938 and the megamouth shark in 1983. The new species in Lacantuniidae , Lacantunia enigmatica , was found in the Lacantun river in the Mexican state of Chiapas . The higher-level phylogeny of Siluriformes has gone through several recent changes, mainly due to molecular phylogenetic studies. While most studies, both morphological and molecular, agree that catfishes are arranged into three main lineages ,
312-543: A result of long branch attraction , incorrectly placing Loricarioidei as the earliest-branching catfish lineage. When a data filtering method was used to reduce lineage rate heterogeneity (the potential source of bias) on their dataset, a final phylogeny was recovered which showed the Diplomystidae are the earliest-branching catfish, followed by Loricarioidei and Siluroidei as sister lineages, providing both morphological and molecular support for Diplomystidae being
351-573: Is Phreatobius cisternarum , known to live underground in phreatic habitats. Numerous species from the families Ariidae and Plotosidae , and a few species from among the Aspredinidae and Bagridae , are found in salt water. In the Southern United States, catfish species may be known by a variety of slang names, such as "mud cat", "polliwogs", or "chuckleheads". These nicknames are not standardized, so one area may call
390-637: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Grits The word "grits" is derived from the Old English word grytt , meaning "coarse meal". In the Charleston, South Carolina area, cooked hominy grits were primarily referred to as "hominy" until the 1980s. The dish originated with the Native American Muscogee tribe using maize. American colonists learned to make
429-620: Is disagreement on the family status of certain groups; for example, Nelson (2006) lists Auchenoglanididae and Heteropneustidae as separate families, while the All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI) includes them under other families. FishBase and the Integrated Taxonomic Information System lists Parakysidae as a separate family, while this group is included under Akysidae by both Nelson (2006) and ACSI. Many sources do not list
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#1732801008730468-481: Is produced by glandular cells in the epidermal tissue covering the spines. In members of the family Plotosidae and of the genus Heteropneustes , this protein is so strong it may hospitalize humans who receive a sting; in Plotosus lineatus , the stings can be lethal. The dorsal- and pectoral-fin spines are two of the most conspicuous features of siluriforms, and differ from those in other fish groups. Despite
507-565: Is sometimes called the "grits belt". The state of Georgia declared grits to be its official prepared food in 2002. A similar bill was introduced in South Carolina to name it the official state food, but it did not advance. Nevertheless, South Carolina still has an entire chapter of legislation dealing exclusively with corn meal and grits. State law in South Carolina requires grits and rice meal to be enriched , similar to
546-577: Is usually considered to be the earliest branching catfish lineage and the sister group to the other two lineages, Loricarioidei and Siluroidei. Molecular evidence usually contrasts with this hypothesis, and shows the suborder Loricarioidei as the earliest branching catfish lineage, and sister to a clade that includes the Diplomystidae and Siluroidei; this phylogeny has been obtained in numerous studies based on genetic data. However, it has been suggested that these molecular results are errors as
585-795: The Cypriniformes (carps and minnows), Characiformes (characins and tetras), Gonorynchiformes (milkfish and beaked salmons) and Gymnotiformes (South American knifefish), a superorder characterized by the Weberian apparatus . Some place Gymnotiformes as a sub-order of Siluriformes; however, this is not as widely accepted. Currently, the Siluriformes are said to be the sister group to the Gymnotiformes, though this has been debated due to more recent molecular evidence. As of 2007 there were about thirty-six extant catfish families, and about 3,093 extant species have been described. This makes
624-795: The Late Cretaceous , including the Andinichthyidae , Vorhisia vulpes and possibly Arius . A potential fossil record is known from the earlier Coniacian - Santonian stages in Niger of West Africa , though this has been considered unreliable, and the putative earliest armored catfish known from the fossil record, Afrocascudo , lived during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous in Morocco of North Africa ( Kem Kem Group ). The describers of Afrocascudo claimed that
663-418: The candiru , Vandellia cirrhosa . Neither the armour-plated types nor the naked types have scales. Despite their name, not all catfish have prominent barbels or "whiskers". Members of the Siluriformes order are defined by features of the skull and swimbladder . Catfish are of considerable commercial importance; many of the larger species are farmed or fished for food. Many of the smaller species, particularly
702-521: The Americas. They are the only ostariophysans that have entered freshwater habitats in Madagascar , Australia, and New Guinea . They are found in fresh water/ brackish water environments, though most inhabit shallow, running water. Representatives of at least eight families are hypogean (live underground) with three families that are also troglobitic (inhabiting caves). One such species
741-538: The ariid catfish, where the young retain yolk sacs late into juvenile stages, and many pimelodids, which may have elongated barbels and fin filaments or coloration patterns. Sexual dimorphism is reported in about half of all families of catfish. The modification of the anal fin into an intromittent organ (in internal fertilizers) as well as accessory structures of the reproductive apparatus (in both internal and external fertilizers) have been described in species belonging to 11 different families. Catfish have one of
780-471: The armor is formed solely by expanded vertebral processes that form plates. Finally, the lateral armor of doradids , Sisor , and hoplomyzontines consists of hypertrophied lateral line ossicles with dorsal and ventral lamina . All catfish other than members of the Malapteruridae ( electric catfish ), possess a strong, hollow, bony, leading spine-like ray on their dorsal and pectoral fins . As
819-518: The catfish order the second or third most diverse vertebrate order; in fact, one out of every twenty vertebrate species is a catfish. Catfish are believed to have a Gondwanan origin primarily centered around South America, as the most basal living catfish groups are known from there. The earliest known definitive members lived in the Americas from the Campanian to Maastrichtian stages of
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#1732801008730858-528: The dish from the Native Americans, and it quickly became an American staple. At that time, maize or hominy for grits was ground on a stone mill . The ground material was passed through screens, the finer sifted material used as grit meal, and the coarser as grits. Three-quarters of the grits sold in the U.S. are bought in the South, in an area stretching from Lower Texas to Washington, D.C. , that
897-1533: The earliest branching catfish. Below is a list of family relationships by different authors. Lacantuniidae is included in the Sullivan scheme based on recent evidence that places it sister to Claroteidae . Phylogeny of living Siluriformes based on 2017 and extinct families based on Nelson, Grande & Wilson 2016. † Andinichthyidae Nematogenyidae [REDACTED] Trichomycteridae [REDACTED] Callichthyidae [REDACTED] Astroblepidae [REDACTED] Loricariidae [REDACTED] Diplomystidae † Bachmanniidae † Hypsidoridae Cetopsidae [REDACTED] Siluridae [REDACTED] Pangasiidae Mochokidae [REDACTED] Claroteidae Plotosidae Ictaluridae [REDACTED] Clariidae [REDACTED] Ailiidae Sisoridae [REDACTED] Bagridae [REDACTED] Aspredinidae Doradidae [REDACTED] Auchenipteridae [REDACTED] Heptapteridae [REDACTED] Pseudopimelodidae [REDACTED] Pimelodidae [REDACTED] Unassigned families: Extant catfish species live inland or in coastal waters of every continent except Antarctica . Catfish have inhabited all continents at one time or another. They are most diverse in tropical South America, Asia, and Africa, with one family native to North America and one family in Europe. More than half of all catfish species live in
936-429: The ecological pressure on native European fauna . Walking catfish have also been introduced in the freshwater areas of Florida, with the voracious catfish becoming a major alien pest there. Flathead catfish , Pylodictis olivaris , is also a North American pest on Atlantic slope drainages. Pterygoplichthys species, released by aquarium fishkeepers, have also established feral populations in many warm waters around
975-630: The fewest points per game (9.2) in NFL history Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Gritz . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gritz&oldid=1204367709 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021 Short description
1014-833: The food is called mush . Whole-grain grits require much longer to become soft than "quick grits". Grits are eaten with a wide variety of foods, such as eggs and bacon, fried catfish , shrimp , salmon croquettes , or country ham . Shrimp and grits is a traditional dish in the coastal communities in the South Carolina Lowcountry and Georgia's Lower Coastal Plain . Solidified cooked grits can be sliced and fried in vegetable oil , butter, or bacon grease to make fried grits, or they can first be breaded in beaten egg and bread crumbs . Catfish Extant families: Extinct family: Catfish (or catfishes ; order Siluriformes / s ɪ ˈ lj ʊər ɪ f ɔːr m iː z / or Nematognathi ) are
1053-439: The former ranges throughout Europe, and the latter is restricted to Greece . Mythology and literature record wels catfish of astounding proportions yet are to be proven scientifically. The typical size of the species is about 1.2–1.6 m (3.9–5.2 ft), and fish more than 2 m (6.6 ft) are rare. However, they are known to exceed 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length and 100 kg (220 lb) in weight. In July 2009,
1092-493: The genus Corydoras , are important in the aquarium hobby . Many catfish are nocturnal , but others (many Auchenipteridae ) are crepuscular or diurnal (most Loricariidae or Callichthyidae , for example). Molecular evidence suggests that in spite of the great morphological diversity in the order, all catfish form a monophyletic group. Catfish belong to a superorder called the Ostariophysi , which also includes
1131-456: The genus is possible. As far as known for most catfish, features that are often characteristic of species, such as mouth and fin positions, fin shapes, and barbel lengths, show little difference between juveniles and adults. For many species, pigmentation pattern is also similar in juveniles and adults. Thus, juvenile catfish generally resemble and develop smoothly into their adult form without distinct juvenile specializations. Exceptions to this are
1170-404: The largest ranges in size within a single order of bony fish . Many catfish have a maximum length of under 12 cm (4.7 in). Some of the smallest species of the Aspredinidae and Trichomycteridae reach sexual maturity at only 1 cm (0.39 in). The wels catfish , Silurus glanis , and the much smaller related Aristotle's catfish , are the only catfish indigenous to Europe ;
1209-574: The order. In loricarioids and in the Asian genus Sisor , the armor is primarily made up of one or more rows of free dermal plates. Similar plates are found in large specimens of Lithodoras . These plates may be supported by vertebral processes , as in scoloplacids and in Sisor , but the processes never fuse to the plates or form any external armor. By contrast, in the subfamily Doumeinae (family Amphiliidae ) and in hoplomyzontines ( Aspredinidae ),
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1248-467: The presence of a Weberian apparatus . Their well-developed Weberian apparatus and reduced gas bladder allow for improved hearing and sound production. Catfish do not have scales ; their bodies are often naked. In some species, their mucus -covered skin is used in cutaneous respiration , where the fish breathes through its skin. In some catfish, the skin is covered in bony plates called scutes ; some form of body armor appears in various ways within
1287-517: The presence of a derived loricariid so early on would indicate the extensive diversification of catfish, or at least loricarioids, prior to the beginning of the Late Cretaceous. As extant loricariids are only known from South America, much of this diversification must have occurred on the supercontinent of West Gondwana prior to its fragmentation into South America and Africa. Britz and colleagues suggested that Afrocascudo instead represents
1326-430: The recently revised family Anchariidae . The family Horabagridae , including Horabagrus , Pseudeutropius , and Platytropius , is not shown by some authors but presented by others as a true group. Thus, the actual number of families differs between authors. The species count is in constant flux due to taxonomic work as well as description of new species. Between 2003 and 2005, over one hundred species were named,
1365-507: The relationship among these lineages has been a contentious point in which these studies, performed for example by Rui Diogo , differ. The three main lineages in Siluriformes are the family Diplomystidae , the denticulate catfish suborder Loricarioidei (containing the Neotropical "suckermouth" catfishes), and the suborder Siluroidei, which contains the remaining families of the order. According to morphological data, Diplomystidae
1404-410: The requirement for flour. Grits may be either yellow or white, depending on the color of the maize used. The most common version in supermarkets is "quick" grits, which are made from non-hominy maize and have the germ and hull removed. Whole kernel grits are sometimes called "speckled". Grits are prepared by mixing water or milk and the dry grits and stirring them over heat, if one uses cornmeal ,
1443-475: The species. Catfish barbels always occur in pairs. Many larger catfish also have chemoreceptors across their entire bodies, which means they "taste" anything they touch and "smell" any chemicals in the water. "In catfish, gustation plays a primary role in the orientation and location of food". Because their barbels and chemoreception are more important in detecting food, the eyes on catfish are generally small. Like other ostariophysans , they are characterized by
1482-599: The widespread use of the spines for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies the fields have struggled to effectively use the information due to a lack of consistency in the nomenclature, with a general standard for the descriptive anatomy of catfish spines proposed in 2022 to try and resolve this problem. Juvenile catfish, like most fish, have relatively large heads, eyes, and posterior median fins in comparison to larger, more mature individuals. These juveniles can be readily placed in their families, particularly those with highly derived fin or body shapes; in some cases, identification of
1521-428: The world. Most catfish are bottom feeders . In general, they are negatively buoyant , which means that they usually sink rather than float due to a reduced gas bladder and a heavy, bony head. Catfish have a variety of body shapes, though most have a cylindrical body with a flattened ventrum to allow for benthic feeding. A flattened head allows for digging through the substrate, as well as perhaps serving as
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