Blue catfish
The blue catfish, a prominent member of the Ictaluridae family, is the largest catfish species native to North America. Typically found in the slow-moving rivers of the midwestern and southern United States, they can weigh between 15 to 30 pounds on average, with some individuals recorded at up to 143 pounds. These fish can grow to lengths of 25 to 36 inches and display a bluish-gray coloration on their backs with silvery-white bellies. Blue catfish are carnivorous, primarily feeding on smaller fish, insects, and even invasive species like adult Asian carp. Their anatomy includes whisker-like barbels that aid in sensing their environment, and they use various fins for swimming and maintaining balance. During the spring mating season, blue catfish pair up in secluded areas to spawn, with a typical lifespan of nine to ten years, though some can exceed twenty years. While they are abundant in many regions, blue catfish are considered invasive in certain areas of the eastern United States. Due to their size and fighting ability, they are popular among anglers, contributing to their status as a sought-after catch.
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Blue catfish
The blue catfish is the largest member of the family Ictaluridae, the only family of catfish in North America. Although they sometimes only weigh between 15 and 30 pounds (7 and 13 kilograms), it is not unusual for a blue catfish to be nearly 70 pounds (32 kilograms). There is record of one blue catfish which weighed 143 pounds (65 kilograms).
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Ictaluridae
Genus: Ictalumus
Species: Furcatus
Blue catfish live in the large, slow-moving rivers of the midwestern and southern regions of the United States. They are members of the Ictaluridae family, the only family of catfish which originated in North America.
Blue catfish not only live in large rivers, but they are large catfish also. They may grow in length to about 25 to 36 inches (64 to 117 centimeters) and may weigh 30 pounds (13 kilograms) on the average. Blue catfish have bluish-gray backs and silvery-white bellies. They also have whisker-like strings hanging from their mouths and chins. These whiskers are called barbels.
Blue catfish move their large bodies through the water by the movement of their many fins. They use their dorsal and anal, or back and belly, fins to keep them balanced in the water, while their caudal, or tail, fins move from side to side propelling them as they swim. Blue catfish also paddle through the water with their pairs of pectoral and pelvic fins.
Like other fish, blue catfish need oxygen to survive. Unlike humans, who have lungs and are able to process oxygen from the air, blue catfish have to find the oxygen they need from the water in which they live. Blue catfish take water into their mouths, keep the oxygen they need, and release the waste chemicals out through the gills on the sides of their bodies.
Blue catfish reach their great weights on a diet of smaller fish. Their diet includes insects, crawfish, crabs, frogs, and worms. They are one of the only species of fish in North America able to eat adult Asian carp, an invasive species. This type of diet causes them to be classified as carnivorous, or meat-eating.
Blue catfish are often sought after by fishermen. They were once caught by brush lines laid in the flood areas of the Mississippi rivers. As the blue catfish would move into these overflow areas during floods, they would be trapped in the brush lines.
Mating season for blue catfish takes place in the springtime. Pairs of blue catfish meet in the dark, hidden places in the water to spawn. The female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them.
The life span of blue catfish is nine to 10 years, although some may live to over 20 years. The blue-catfish is not threatened or endangered. It is so plentiful in the eastern United States, that in some places it is considered an invasive species.
Bibliography
“Blue Catfish.” Missouri Department of Conservation, 2024, mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/blue-catfish. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.
“Blue Catfish Ictalurus Furcatus.” Chesapeake Bay Program, 2024, www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/blue-catfish. Accessed 21 Mar. 2024.