Overview
The blue catfish, the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and the white catfish (Ameiurus catus) are the only three catfishes in the U.S.A. that have distinctly forked tails, setting them apart from the bullheads and the flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), which have squarish or slightly emarginate tails. The blue catfish can be distinguished from the channel and white catfish by its noticeably longer anal fin, which has a more even depth and a straighter edge than in the other two species. There are 30 36 rays in the fin, versus 24 30 rays in the channel catfish and 19 23 rays in the white catfish. Internally, the blue catfish can be identified by the fact that it has three chambers in the swim bladder, whereas the channel catfish has two chambers. All three forked tail species may be almost uniformly pale blue or silvery in color, though white catfish may show a more distinct difference between the bluish back and white belly. Channel catfish frequently have spots. The blue catfish is the largest freshwater sportfish in Texas.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Ictaluridae
- Genus
- Ictalurus
- Species
- furcatus
Habitat
It prefers clean, swift moving waters. This native species of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River basin systems frequents deep areas of large rivers, swift chutes, and pools with swift currents. It is confined to the major rivers of the aforementioned systems, extending north into South Dakota and southern Minnesota, and south into Mexico and northern Guatemala. It has been introduced into Virginia.
Diet
Feeds primarily on fish and crayfish. Although, invertebrates still comprise the major portion of the diet.
Behavior
The spawning behavior of blue catfish appears to be similar to that of channel catfish. However, most blue catfish are not sexually mature until they reach about 24 inches in length.
Fishing
The blue catfish is considered an excellent food and game fish. The Blue Catfish is the largest sportwater fish in Texas. Typically, the largest fish are caught by trotliners, some of whom have landed specimens in excess of 115 pounds. The Texas rod-and-reel record is 121.5 pounds. It is a strong, well toned fish with a fine, delicate flavor.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.