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Blue catfish  (Ictalurus furcatus)

Image source: Tennessee Aquarium

General data

  • Main name: Blue catfish
  • Climates: Subtropical, Temperate, Continental
  • Habitat: Freshwater
  • Native: North America
  • Introduced: Europe
  • Distribution: Mississippi River, Missouri River, Rio Grande, Brazos, Trinity (Texas), Delaware River, View all... Neuse River, James river, Pee Dee river, Atchafalaya, Apalachicola, Guadalupe, Santee River, Rappahannock, Pascagoula River, Pearl river (Gulf of Mexico), Neches River, Sabine River, Roanoke River

Classification

  • Genus: Ictalurus - North American catfishes
  • Family: Ictaluridae - North American freshwater catfishes
  • Order: Siluriformes - Catfishes
  • Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
  • Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

The blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is the largest species of North American catfish, reaching a length of 165 cm (65 in) and a weight of 68 kg (150 lb). The typical length is about 25–46 in (64–117 cm). The fish can live to 20 years. The native distribution of blue catfish is primarily in the Mississippi River drainage, including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas Rivers, The Des Moines River in South Central Iowa, and the Rio Grande, and south along the Gulf Coast to Belize and Guatemala. These large catfish have also been introduced in a number of reservoirs and rivers, notably the Santee Cooper lakes of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie in South Carolina, the James River in Virginia, Powerton Lake in Pekin, Illinois, and Lake Springfield in Springfield, Illinois. This fish is also found in some lakes in Florida. The fish is considered an invasive pest in some areas, particularly the Chesapeake Bay. Blue catfish can tolerate brackish water, thus can colonize along inland waterways of coastal regions. Blue catfish are often misidentified as channel catfish. Blue catfish are heavy-bodied, blueish gray in color, and have a dorsal hump. The best way to tell the difference between a channel catfish and a blue catfish is to count the number of rays on the anal fin. A blue catfish has 30–36 rays, whereas a channel catfish has 25–29. Blue catfish also have barbels, a deeply forked tail, and a protruding upper jaw.

Catches

Taxonomy of Fishes

  • Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
    • Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
    • Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
      • Perciformes - Perches->
      • Cypriniformes - Carps->
      • Esociformes - Pikes->
      • Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
      • Siluriformes - Catfishes->
        • Siluridae - Eurasian catfishes->
        • Ictaluridae - North American freshwater catfishes->
          • Ameiurus - Bullheads->
          • Ictalurus - North American catfishes->
            • Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
            • Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
            • Pánuco catfish (Ictalurus australis)
            • Balsas catfish (Ictalurus balsanus)
            • Lerma catfish (Ictalurus dugesii)
            • Headwater catfish (Ictalurus lupus)
            • Southern blue catfish (Ictalurus meridionalis)
            • Rio Verde catfish (Ictalurus mexicanus)
            • Chapala catfish (Ictalurus ochoterenai)
            • Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei)
          • Pylodictis - Flathead catfishes->
          • Noturus - Madtoms->
          • Prietella - Prietella->
          • Satan - Satan->
          • Trogloglanis - Trogloglanis->
        • Pimelodidae - Long-whiskered catfishes->
        • Pangasiidae - Shark catfishes->
        • Astroblepidae - Naked sucker-mouth catfishes->
        • Clariidae - Airbreathing catfishes->
        • Ariidae - Sea catfishes->
        • Plotosidae - Eeltail catfishes->
        • Doradidae - Thorny catfishes->
        • Auchenipteridae - Driftwood catfishes->
        • Bagridae - Naked catfishes->
        • Callichthyidae - Armored catfishes->
        • Sisoridae - Asian adhesive catfishes->
        • Malapteruridae - Electric catfishes->
        • Schilbeidae - Schilbid catfishes->
        • Loricariidae - Armoured suckermouth catfishes->
        • Heptapteridae - Three-barbeled catfishes->
        • Ailiidae - Asian schilbeids->
        • Akysidae - Stream catfishes->
        • Amblycipitidae - Torrent catfishes->
        • Amphiliidae - Loach catfishes->
        • Anchariidae - Vaonas->
        • Aspredinidae - Banjo catfishes->
        • Austroglanididae - Austroglanids->
        • Cetopsidae - Whale catfishes->
        • Chacidae - Squarehead or angler catfish->
        • Claroteidae - Claroteid catfishes->
        • Cranoglanididae - Armorhead catfishes->
        • Diplomystidae - Velvet catfishes->
        • Erethistidae - South Asian river catfishes->
        • Heteropneustidae - Airsac catfishes->
        • Horabagridae - Imperial catfishes->
        • Kryptoglanidae - Indian cave catfishes->
        • Lacantuniidae - Chiapas catfishes->
        • Mochokidae - Squeakers or upside-down catfishes->
        • Nematogenyidae - Mountain catfishes->
        • Olyridae - Longtail catfishes->
        • Parakysidae - Parakysid catfishes->
        • Phreatobiidae - Cistern catfishes->
        • Pseudopimelodidae - Bumblebee catfishes, dwarf marbled catfishes->
        • Scoloplacidae - Spiny dwarf catfishes->
        • Trichomycteridae - Pencil or parasitic catfishes->
      • Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
      • Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
      • Gadiformes - Cods->
      • Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
      • Clupeiformes - Herrings->
      • Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
      • Gobiiformes - Gobies->
      • Mugiliformes - Mullets->
      • Carangiformes - Jacks->
      • Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
      • Labriformes - Wrasses->
      • Scombriformes - Mackerels->
      • Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
      • Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
      • Aulopiformes - Grinners->
      • Blenniiformes - Blennies->
      • Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
      • Osmeriformes - Smelts->
      • Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
      • Cichliformes - Cichlids->
      • Characiformes - Characins->
      • Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
      • Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
      • Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
      • Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
      • Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
      • Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
      • Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
      • Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
      • Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
      • Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
      • Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
      • Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
      • Zeiformes - Dories->
      • Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
      • Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
      • Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
      • Lampriformes - Lamprids->
      • Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
      • Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
      • Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
      • Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
      • Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
      • Atheriniformes - Silversides->
      • Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
      • Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
      • Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
      • Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
      • Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
      • Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
      • Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
      • Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
      • Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
      • Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
      • Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
      • Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
      • Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
      • Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
      • Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
      • Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
      • Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
    • Cladistii - Bichirs->
    • Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
    • Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
    • Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
  • Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
  • Agnatha - Jawless fishes->