# Channel Catfish (*Ictalurus punctatus*) The Channel Catfish is a friendly fish that has whiskers on its face. It loves to scavenge for food in rivers! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Rivers and lakes - **Also known as:** Forktail Catfish ![Channel Catfish](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426303/objects/4679.jpg) ## Appearance The Channel Catfish has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body that is typically olive-brown to slate-gray on top, fading to a silvery-white belly. Younger fish often sport scattered dark spots on their sides, and all possess a deeply forked tail fin and long, sensitive barbels around their mouth. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Siluriformes - **Family:** Ictaluridae - **Genus:** Ictalurus ## Interesting facts - A record Channel Catfish caught in South Carolina weighed over 58 pounds! - Channel Catfish can make loud grunting and drumming sounds! - They can survive out of water for short periods, if kept moist! - They have taste buds all over their body, not just in their mouths! ## Special abilities - **Super Sniffer Whiskers:** Channel Catfish can find food in dark or murky water because of four pairs of whisker-like barbels that sense chemicals. - **Sound Maker:** Channel Catfish has a special swim bladder that helps them make grunting and drumming noises to communicate. - **Night Navigator:** Channel Catfish can see well in low light, letting them hunt for food efficiently after the sun goes down. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 25-58 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-10 kg - **Lifespan:** 6-16 years - **Swim Speed:** 25 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 15 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding These fish are opportunistic eaters, feasting on almost anything they can find in their watery home. - **Age differences:** Younger catfish eat more insects and larvae, while adults consume more fish and larger crustaceans. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, crustaceans, small fish, mollusks, plant matter, detritus - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — eats juvenile catfish - **Eats:** [Great Blue Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-blue-heron) (*Ardea herodias*) — preys on smaller catfish - **Hunts:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — hunted for food and sport - **Eats:** Red Swamp Crayfish (*Procambarus clarkii*) — eats crayfish found underwater - **Eats:** Common Lake Midge (*Chironomus plumosus*) — eats midge larvae ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Whiskered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/whiskered): Possessing prominent sensory hairs or vibrissae, often around the snout. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Channel Catfish? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Channel Catfish? 25-58 cm ### How much does Channel Catfish weigh? 0.5-10 kg ### How long does Channel Catfish live? 6-16 years ### What does Channel Catfish eat? These fish are opportunistic eaters, feasting on almost anything they can find in their watery home. ### How fast can Channel Catfish swim? 25 km/h ### Where is Channel Catfish usually found? Rivers and lakes ### How does Channel Catfish hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albemarle-and-chesapeake-canal) — Virginia, US · Historic Site - [Elk Neck State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elk-neck-state-park) — Maryland, US · State Park - [Anamosa State Penitentiary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anamosa-state-penitentiary) — Iowa, US · Historic District - [Brady's Bluff Prairie State Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bradys-bluff-prairie-state-natural-area) — Minnesota, US · State Park - [Elephant Butte Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elephant-butte-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Gold Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gold-hill) — Colorado, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see Channel Catfish](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/channel-catfish) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Channel Catfish: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/channel-catfish)