Channel Catfish

Q: Can you eat Channel Catfish?

Firm, moist white flesh with a mild, sweet flavor and very low fat. A Southern U.S. staple — beloved deep-fried with cornmeal batter; also excellent grilled or blackened.

Q: How big does Channel Catfish get?

Channel Catfish can grow up to 132.0 cm long and weigh 26.0 kg.

Q: Where is Channel Catfish found?

Native to the central and eastern United States and southern Canada, from the Great Lakes south through the Mississippi River basin to the Gulf Coast. Favors large rivers, reservoirs, and impoundments with sandy or rocky substrates. Estuaries

Q: Is Channel Catfish endangered?

The conservation status of Channel Catfish is Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Channel Catfish belong to?

Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) belongs to the family Ictaluridae (North American catfishes) in the order Siluriformes (Catfishes).

Abstract

The most widely fished catfish in North America, the channel catfish is a blue-gray, deeply forked-tailed species native from the Great Lakes and southern Canada through the Mississippi basin to the Gulf Coast. Its entire skin is studded with taste buds, and paired barbels give it an acute chemical sense that allows it to locate food in dark, murky water. Growing to 1.3 metres and 26 kilograms, it favours large rivers, reservoirs, and impoundments over sandy or rocky bottoms. Firm, moist, and mildly sweet, its white flesh is a Southern United States staple, classically deep-fried in cornmeal batter. Abundant and heavily farmed, the species is assessed as Least Concern and readily takes stinkbait, cut bait, and nightcrawlers.