Found in the Mississippi River system from West Virginia west to South Dakota, and south to the Gulf coast. Alabama and Georgia west to Texas and widely introduced.

HABITS:

Inhabits deep rivers where it is most abundant in swift deep channels. The blue catfish feeds mainly near the bottom on fish, crayfish, aquatic insects, fingernail clams, and freshwater mussels. Usually found in moderate current over a sandy bottom.

SPAWNING:

Blue catfish spawn in a similar manner to channel catfish. Little is known about spawning behavior.

GROWTH:

The blue catfish is one of the largest of North American catfishes. It can grow up to 3 feet 8 inches and reach 100 lbs. They grow more slowly than channel catfish during their first year but overtake channel catfish during the second growing season. Hybrid Blue x channel catfish has improve growth and performance over either parent species. Blue catfish reach maturity at 4 to 5 years of age.

USES:

The blue catfish is popular as a sport and is becoming more popular as a food fish. The blue catfish has a higher dressout percentage than channel catfish and is more easily seined.

CULTURE:

Blue catfish culture is becoming more widely practiced in commercial fish farms. The same methods are employed in culture as those used for channel catfish. Pond culture of blue catfish has great potential in commercial aquaculture since the blue catfish grows at a more uniform rate than the channel catfish.

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