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Ictalurus punctatus  (Rafinesque, 1818)

Channel catfish
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Native range | All suitable habitat
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Ictalurus punctatus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Ictalurus punctatus (Channel catfish)
Ictalurus punctatus
Picture by Lovshin, L.


country information

Common names: [No common name]
Occurrence:
Salinity:
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments:
National Checklist:
Country Information:
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Siluriformes (Catfish) > Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 132 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26550); common length : 57.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 59043); max. published weight: 26.3 kg (Ref. 4699); max. reported age: 24 years (Ref. 59043)

Length at first maturity
Lm 36.0  range ? - ? cm

Environment

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 4 - 30; depth range 15 - ? m (Ref. 9988)

Climate / Range

Subtropical; 10°C - 32°C (Ref. 12741), preferred ?; 51°N - 27°N

Distribution

North America: Central drainages of the United States to southern Canada and northern Mexico.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Usually bluish olive, gray or black on the upper part of the body, becoming white below; dark spots usually scattered along the sides; older males dark in color, the head looking very wide when seen from the top; long barbels surrounding the mouth and the tail deeply forked (Ref. 44091).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults inhabit rivers and streams and prefer clean, well oxygenated water (Ref. 9988), but also in ponds and reservoirs (Ref. 10294, 44091). They feed primarily on small fish, crustaceans (e.g. crayfish), clams and snails; also feed on aquatic insects and small mammals (Ref. 9669, 10294, 44091). Marketed fresh, smoked and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Albino form common in the aquarium trade (Ref. 13371).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Potential pest (Ref. 13371)



Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial

More information

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

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Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.5010 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.2   ±0.3 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.06; tmax=16)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High to very high vulnerability (72 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Unknown