Channel catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Also known asForked-tail cat · Spotted cat
Water parameters
Minimum tank: 400 L per individual at harvest size.
Feed and growth
- Feed protein
- 32% target
- Daily feed (warm)
- 1.40% of body weight
- Daily feed (cool)
- 0.70% of body weight
- Max density
- 50 g per litre
A 1200 g adult eats about 16.8 g of feed per day at optimum. 10 fish at adult size: ~168 g daily.
Legality
Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. Verify with your local fisheries or wildlife authority before stocking.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | permit required | Aquaculture permit required for commercial scale verified 2026-05-13 |
| New South Wales | prohibited | Non-native; biosecurity restrictions verified 2026-05-13 |
| Queensland | prohibited | verified 2026-05-13 |
Unlisted jurisdictions default to "check local regulations".
Origin and habitat
Ictalurus punctatus is the backbone of United States aquaculture, the country's leading farmed fish, with annual production above 300 million pounds, most of it from ponds in the Mississippi Delta states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas. It is native across eastern and central North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. Channel catfish are bottom-oriented, largely nocturnal feeders with a sharp sense of smell and taste; they find food by scent rather than sight, which lets them feed confidently in muddy water and after dark. They are forgiving of poor water: they survive brief spells of very low oxygen, tolerate moderate ammonia, and handle a pH range from about 6 to 9, which makes them a hardy fit for aquaponics where parameters drift. Common fish run around 55 cm, with the largest reaching well over a metre. In culture they grow to roughly 500 g to 1 kg in twelve to twenty-four months depending on temperature and feeding.
Climate and outdoor ponds
- Climate
- temperate (handles seasonal swings)
- USDA zones
- 5–11 (winter low around -29°C or warmer)
- Heating needed
- no
- Cooling needed
- no
Care notes
A dependable pick for temperate aquaponics where tilapia is not legal or where water swings with the seasons. Catfish grow best around 24–29°C and tolerate a wide band, but growth slows sharply below about 13°C and stops near the upper lethal point around 35°C. They grow more slowly than tilapia, taking twelve to twenty-four months to reach 500–800 g on a 32 percent protein commercial pellet, with feed conversion around 1.6 to 2.0. Stocking for aquaponics is best kept at 10 to 20 g/L; crowding raises stress and disease risk. As bottom feeders they take sinking pellets readily, though they learn to feed at the surface over time. Keep oxygen up, since appetite falls off below about 3 mg/L, and keep water clean to protect the sensitive barbels from bacterial erosion. The fish is legal for aquaculture in most US states without special permits, a real advantage over tilapia in restrictive areas, and fingerlings are easy to buy from farm stores, hatcheries, and online suppliers. Channel catfish put out a lot of ammonia for their size, which feeds plants well but demands solid biofiltration to stay below toxic levels. The main disease to watch is enteric septicemia of catfish, caused by Edwardsiella ictaluri, the most serious illness in the industry; good water quality and avoiding temperature stress are the best defenses.