Most widely cultured fish in the U.S.A. It is found in southern Quebec west to southern Alberta and south into the central and east central U.S.A.

HABITS:

The channel catfish is an omnivore, a scavenger, and a predator. It’s found in warm fresh waters in the southeastern U.S.A. Channel catfish have barbels and spots and seem to like moving water but can also survive and thrive in still water.

SPAWNING:

Channel catfish will spawn in ponds laying 15000-38000 yellow gelatinous and adhesive eggs in a cavity (nest). The male prepares the nest. In commercial culture a spawning can is used to mimic a naturally downed log or cavity for spawning. Cans are placed throughout the shallower water near the edge of the pond facing towards the middle. This is done to avoid anaerobic conditions that may exist in deeper waters of the pond. Spawning can occur from late April to early September depending on geographic location. Spawning takes place in early summer. Broodfish are stocked into a pond at about 800 lbs./acre the winter before spawning in a 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 ratio of females to males. After spawning incubation lasts 5-10 days depending on temperature. If eggs are left in the pond for hatching the male fish will chase the female out of the nest (can) and guard and aerate the eggs until hatch. In most fish farms that produce fry the cans are periodically checked and egg masses are removed from spawning cans and hatched out in paddle-wheel aerators at temperatures of 26-28 degrees Celsius in general. Catfish fry can be fed a catfish starter or better a trout starter upon swim-up. Stocking density of fry has been worked out for different sized fingerling production.

GROWTH:

Catfish usually weigh about one pound after 14-18 months of growth. The record is 57 lbs. Growth is dependent on stocking density, nutrition, temperature, and growing season.

USES:

Channel catfish are the most widely cultured and largest food fish market in the U.S.A. today. Channel catfish is very popular in the southeast but the image of catfish being a "trash" fish is still difficult to overcome in some areas of the U.S.A.

CULTURE:

Fish are raised in levee ponds. Ponds are usually fertilized. Fingerlings are generally stocked at 20,000-24,000 fish/acre of medium and small sized fish. After growout the pond is seined using grader nets to "top-off" the ponds when enough fish are at marketable size. This is the most common method employed by commercial farmers today. Channel catfish can be raised in single batch culture in ponds, in raceways, and large tanks. Catfish grow best at about 29 degrees Celsius when dissolved oxygen levels in ponds are above 4 or 5 mg/L at 6 inches in depth. Culture practices in channel catfish are well developed and many references are available.

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