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Channel Catfish

Fast Fact:

Extremely important for fisheries in Mississippi, the Channel Catfish is central to the aquaculture industry of the southern United States.
 
Distribution Inshore: Canada to Mexico.
Chesapeake Bay: In tributaries with salinity less than 18 ppt.
Description Snout and mouth very broad, chin barbels white to dusky, pectoral spines stout and strongly serrated, tail deeply forked; blue to gray to greenish gray.
Max. size 24 inches.
Life span Can exceed 25 years; average is 14 years.
Food preference Insects, arthropods, fish.
Spawning location Freshwater.
Spawning period Late spring when water temperatures reach 24 degrees Celsius.
Egg type Demersal adhesive, deposited in large gelatinous masses.
Additional Information Go to DNR's Fish Facts page or Juvenile Fish Index

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