White Catfish Facts
Common Names – forked-tail cat, catfish
Description – The sides are blue-gray to blue-black and may be mottled. The tail is moderately forked, and the anal fin is shorter and rounder than that of channel or blue catfish. Whites have only 19-22 anal fin rays. The chin barbels are white or yellow. They have a blunt, more-rounded head, and they lack black spots on their body.
Subspecies – None
Habitat – Usually found in slow-moving streams, river backwaters, reservoirs and ponds. They will tolerate a siltier bottom and higher salinity, and prefer water temperatures of 80 to 85 degrees.
Spawning Habits – As with other members of its family, they are nest builders, and the male guards the young for some time after they hatch. Both parents help excavate the large nest, usually on a sand or gravel bar. Spawning occurs in the early summer when waters reach about 70 degrees.
Feeding Habits – Although fish are their major food, whites also eat larval aquatic insects, small crustaceans, fish eggs and aquatic plants. They may feed at night, but are not as nocturnal as other catfish.
Age and Growth – Whites grow more slowly than other catfish species. Fish as old as 11 years have been documented. They seldom exceed a weight of three pounds.
Sporting Qualities – Among the catfishes found in Florida, the white is second only to the channel catfish in popularity. Live bait, especially minnows and worms, accounts for most caught whites, but they also will take cut and prepared baits.
Eating Quality – An excellent food fish, whites are prized for their firm, white flesh.
Records – World and 18.88 lbs, caught in the
Withlacoochee River, Marion County, Florida, in 1991.
Courtesy of floridaconservation.org
Categories: Catfish Facts, White Catfish Tags: White Catfish Facts
Blue Catfish Facts
Common Names – channel cat, hump-back blue, forktail cat, great blue cat, silver cat, chucklehead cat, blue fulton
Description – Adult fish have stout bodies with prominently humped backs in front of the dorsal fin. They resemble channel catfish by having deeply forked tails, but are dissimilar because they are unspotted and have a long, straight-edged anal fin with 30 to 35 rays. The back and upper sides are blue to slate gray, and the lower sides and belly are white. The internal air bladder has a constriction in the middle, giving it a two-chambered appearance.
Subspecies – There are no recognized subspecies. They are known to naturally hybridize with channel catfish. The channel-blue hybrid is popular among aquaculturists.
Habitat – Blues occur in big rivers and in the lower reaches of major tributaries. They prefer clearer, swifter water than other catfish, and are usually found over sand, gravel or rock bottoms. Their preferred water temperature is 77 to 82 degrees.
Spawning Habits – Spawning and nesting behavior is similar to others of its family. In late spring, males commonly choose and clear a nest site, usually in drift piles, logs, root systems or other dark, secluded areas near the bank. The eggs hatch in about a week, and males guard the fry in the nest until they swim away a week or so later.
Feeding Habits – Young blues eat aquatic insects and small fish while larger blues prefer crayfish, mussels and other fish. They feed primarily at night.
Age and Growth – Blue catfish grow faster and live longer than channel catfish. They are the largest member of the catfish family. Blues may grow to lengths of over 55 inches and may weigh more than 100 pounds. Maximum life span for blues is unknown but is probably 20-25 years.
Sporting Qualities – One of the strongest freshwater fish; blues are caught on bush hooks or trotlines as well as rod and reel. The most effective baits are cut fish, live fish and nightcrawlers. They also will take prepared and rotting baits. Most are caught while bottom fishing with cut fish, rigged on large hooks weighted down by heavy lead sinkers.
Eating Quality – Considered an excellent food fish with white, firm, delicately flavored flesh.
Records – World Record: 109.25 pounds, caught in the Cooper River, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, in 1991.
Courtesy of floridaconservation.org
Categories: Blue Catfish, Catfish Facts Tags: Blue Catfish Facts
Flathead Catfish Facts
Common Names – yellow cat, mud cat, shovelhead cat, johnnie cat, goujon, appaluchion, opelousas
Description – A flattened head, tiny eyes, squarish tail and protruding lower jaw distinguish the flathead from other catfish and contribute to it being placed in a genus of its own. They are yellow-brown and usually mottled above, with a creamy-white or yellow belly. Small flatheads may be confused with yellow or brown bullheads.
Subspecies – There are no known subspecies; however, they have been known to hybridize with channel catfish.
Habitat – Flatheads are found mainly in large rivers and their major tributaries. They prefer long, slow-flowing, moderately-turbid streams. Adult flatheads are solitary and spend most of their time in deep water near cover such as log jams or fallen trees.
Spawning Habits – Spawning occurs in late spring when water temperatures reach 70 to 80 degrees. One or both parents excavate the nest that is usually made in a natural cavity or near a large submerged object. Females lay a golden-yellow mass of up to 100,000 eggs. The nest is guarded and the eggs are agitated by the male to keep them clean and aerated. The young remain in a school near the nest for several days after hatching, but soon disperse.
Feeding Habits – Flatheads are predatory fish and will consume bass, bream, shad, crayfish and often feed on other catfish. The young rely more extensively on aquatic insects and crayfish than do the adults. Large flatheads sometime congregate where food is plentiful such as near tailraces of dams. They often feed at the surface or in shallow water at night, returning to their residence in a hole or brush pile to rest during the day. They rarely eat dead or decaying matter.
Age and Growth – Although flatheads have been aged by biologists to 19 years, the species is probably capable, based on its maximum size of about 56 inches, of living much longer. They grow faster than any other catfish except blue.
Sporting Qualities – Extremely strong fighters. Their solitary lifestyle, however, makes them more difficult to catch than other catfish. They bite best at night while in shallow water looking for food. To catch flatheads, anglers typically fish on the bottom using heavy tackle with live or freshly cut fish. Trotlines are effective in catching this species.
Eating Quality – The species is highly regarded as a food fish when taken from clean water. The meat is white, firm, and flaky, with an excellent taste.
Records – World Record: 91.25 pounds, caught on Lake Lewisville, Texas, in 1982.
Courtesy of floridaconservation.org
Categories: Catfish Facts, Flathead Catfish Tags: Flathead Catfish Facts
