Why Do Loaches and Carp Have Whiskers?

The whiskers of the carp and the loach help them find food. By touching something with their whiskers they know whether they can eat it. With their whiskers they can even tell whether the food tastes good. Several catfish species have whiskers. They swim near the bottom looking for food. The whiskers of fish are sensory organs used to touch and taste. most fish that have whiskers swim along the bottom as they search for food. If we observe leaches in an aquarium we will see that they use their whiskers as they scavenge along the bottom for food. If they are in the same water as goldfish, they are very useful in keeping the aquarium clean.