Southland Fisheries - Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish

Nearly 300,000 tons of channel catfish will be produced and marketed in North America this year. This hardy freshwater species, native to rivers of the mid-South, is now widely cultured in the Southeastern U. S. Its ability to grow rapidly on a relatively inexpensive diet and excellent quality flesh has encouraged healthy increases in production for 20 years.

Culture Synopsis Channel Catfish are marketed as sac-fry or as fingerlings (3-4 cm) started on feed. Typically, sac-fry are sold internationally to economize on freight. Fry are normally stocked into freshly filled ponds where zooplankton have been encouraged. The also may be tank cultured with artemia and a good quality trout diet until they reach 3-4cm.

Temp °C

Salinity ppt

pH

O₂mg/l

Feed Protein (%)

Time to Harvest (600g) (month)

Range

4-40

0-25

5-10

1-20

24-44

6-18

Optimum

28-323

0-5

7-8

6-10

28-36

6-10

Availability

Fry (2-3 Day old)

June - August

Fingerlings (3-4 cm)

June - August