Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish
The Juvenile Finfish Trawl Survey has captured Channel Catfish from waters with salinities as high as 20 parts per thousand. They inhabit all tributaries of Chesapeake Bay and typically reach 60 centimeters (2 feet) in length. The diet of Channel Catfish include fishes and insects.
Channel Catfish vs Blue Catfish
Juvenile catfish can be difficult to distinguish from one another. In this photo, the top fish is a Blue Catfish and the bottom fish is a Channel Catfish. The main differences between the species at this size (about 1 inch in length) are the shape of the head (Channel Catfish have narrower heads) and the coloration of the body (Blue Catfish are blue-gray while Channel Catfish are olive green). These fish were collected from the James River.
- This species first recruits to the survey gear in June.
- The Young-of-Year cutoff values are:
- June: 0-50 mm.
- July: 0-80 mm.
- August: 0-105 mm.
- September: 0-120 mm.
- October: 0-130 mm.
- November: 0-130 mm.
- December: 0-130 mm.
- January: 0-130 mm.
- February: 0-130 mm.
- March: 0-130 mm.
- April: 0-140 mm.
- May: 0-150 mm.
- Index months are in bold.
- In 2018, the recruitment window for juvenile and age 1+ Channel Catfish was changed from January to April to the new period that occurs from September to November. All annual indices for Channel Catfish were recalculated to reflect the new recruitment period.
- Because Channel Catfish are restricted in their distribution, an index of abundance is calculated for each tributary. Only stations in the upper portions of the rivers are used.
- The Age 1+ index for this species contains several year classes. It may be possible to split out individual age groups in the future.
Data collected after the transition to a new vessel and net (June 2015) have been adjusted by a species-specific calibration factor.