Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Home » How Big Can Catfish Get » Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Maybe your like

Skip to main content Channel Catfish Image Details View Profile FWS Focus overview characteristics geography timeline information & media contact

Overview

CharacteristicsOverview

The channel catfish has been called a swimming tongue. They have taste buds spread over their entire body with most around their gills and whiskers. Channel catfish are a popular recreational ?sh and are managed by state recreational ?shing regulations through creel and size limits.

Scientific Name

Ictalurus punctatusCommon NameChannel Catfishgraceful catfish KingdomAnimalia

Location in Taxonomic Tree

GenusIctalurusSpeciesIctalurus punctatus

Identification Numbers

TSN: 163998

Characteristics

Characteristic category

Physical Characteristics

CharacteristicsSize & Shape

The common length for channel catfish is 22 inches with the longest maximum reported length at 52 inches.

Color & Pattern

Male channel catfish turn dark during spawning season and develop a thick pad on the top of their heads.

Characteristic category

Life Cycle

CharacteristicsReproduction

Female channel catfish require cool water and short day lengths during the winter months for proper egg development. Channel catfish spawn, depending on the latitude, during the months of April through July, when temperatures reach 72 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

The spawning catfish pair will dig a depression on the bottom of the river or stream, or ?nd a suitable sub-surface cavity to deposit their eggs, which is then guarded by the male catfish. Egg incubation will take around seven days, depending on the water temperature. Channel catfish larvae will take 12 to 16 days to develop.

Geography

CharacteristicsRange

The range of channel catfish extends from southern Canada into northern Mexico. They are found within the central drainages of the United States.

Launch Interactive Map

Tag » How Big Can Catfish Get