Ictalurus punctatus
(channel catfish)

Pictures

Picture	Title	Caption	Copyright
Title Adult Caption Ictalurus punctatus (channel catfish); adult. Copyright ©Carole R. Engle	Adult	Ictalurus punctatus (channel catfish); adult.	©Carole R. Engle

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818)

Preferred Common Name

• channel catfish

Other Scientific Names

• Ictalurus anguilla Hildebrand and Towers, 1928
• Ictalurus punctatus Hay, 1881
• Silurus punctatus Rafinesque, 1818

International Common Names

• English: catfish; catfish, channel; channel catfish; graceful catfish
• Spanish: azul; bagre de canal
• Russian: pyatnistyi

Local Common Names

• Belarus: somik kanalnyj
• Bulgaria: kanalen som
• Canada: gatfish
• Czech Republic: sumecek teckovany
• Denmark: kanalmalle; plettet dværgmalle
• Estonia: kanalisaga
• Finland: pilkkupiikkimonni
• France: barbue de rivière
• Germany: getüpfelter gabelwels
• Italy: pesce gatto punteggiato
• Lithuania: katzuve
• Mexico: azul; bagre de canal
• Romania: somn de canal; somn patat
• Sweden: prickig dvärgmal
• USA: blue cat; chucklehead cat; fiddler; Great Lakes catfish; lady cat; lake catfish; northern catfish; spotted cat; spotted catfish; white cat; willow cat

Summary of Invasiveness

I. punctatus, commonly known as the channel catfish, is a long slender fish with a native range extending from southern Canada and central USA to Mexico. Cultured worldwide, it has been introduced in more than 32 countries including Italy, Brazil, China, Japan and Russia for aquaculture and recreational fisheries. It has been introduced for aquaculture and recreational fisheries to over 32 countries, and widely throughout the USA, and has established itself in most waters to which it has been introduced. Its omnivorous, piscivorous and opportunistic feeding habit, high fecundity and tolerance to a range of extreme environmental conditions contribute to its success in establishing itself wherever it is introduced (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004). Introduced channel catfish can exert a major negative effect on populations of native and endangered species, and commercial fisheries, through competition for food, habitat or through predation. A study by Olden and Poff (2005) describes the channel catfish as one of the fastest expanding invaders in the Lower Colorado River Basin, with Hawkins and Nesler (1991) identifying it as one of the most invasive in terms of its negative impacts on native fish communities some years earlier.  

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Metazoa
•         Phylum: Chordata
•             Subphylum: Vertebrata
•                 Class: Actinopterygii
•                     Order: Siluriformes
•                         Family: Ictaluridae
•                             Genus: Ictalurus
•                                 Species: Ictalurus punctatus

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is a member of the family Ictaluridae in the order Siluriformes. Members of the order can be found in fresh and salt waters throughout the world. According to Wellborn (1988), there are at least 39 species of catfish in North America. Details of taxonomy and nomenclature can be found in the texts by Moyle (1976), Becker (1983), Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) and Etnier and Starnes (2001).

Description

Detailed accounts of the physical features of I. punctatus can be found in the texts by Moyle (1976), Becker (1983) and Etnier and Starnes (2001). The adult channel catfish is blue, olive, grey or black on the upper part of its body, with dark spots along the flank and a white ventral surface. The colour appears to be dependent on the colour of the water it inhabits. In clear water it may appear almost black, while in muddy water it may be olive to a light yellowish-white. Young channel catfish have dark spots on their sides, the spots tending to fade or disappear in adults. Very large or very small individuals have fewer spots or lack them altogether. The channel catfish has a stout, cylindrical body with a broad flattened head and large terminal mouth, the upper jaw extending or protruding beyond the lower jaw. It has eight long and unequal barbels around its mouth, 4 are on the chin, 2 on the snout and one in both corners of the mouth. It has a scale-free slimy body, an adipose fin and a deeply forked tail, with the top of the fin being larger than the rounded bottom portion. This deeply forked tail distinguishes the channel catfish from other catfishes except the blue catfish (I. furcatus). The dorsal and pectoral fins have spines while the curved anal fin has 24-29 rays. Taste buds are present on the interior of the mouth and over the body. Males generally have larger heads and a darker coloured body than females. 

Distribution

The channel catfish can live in fresh, salt and some brackish waters (Scott and Crossman, 1973). Its reported native distribution extends from the southern Canadian Prairie Provinces south to the Gulf States, west to the Rocky Mountains, and east to the Appalachian Mountains (Trautman, 1957; Miller, 1966; Scott and Crossman, 1973).

Although documented as being native to North America and southern Canada, according to Etnier and Starnes (2001), the exact native range of the channel catfish is uncertain. The northern boundary of its range on the Atlantic coastal plain is uncertain, with Page and Burr (1991) considering it possibly native to the Susquehanna River. According to Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) the channel catfish is native to the Florida peninsula, and introduced in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In Canada, it is found in the St Lawrence River and its tributaries from southern Quebec through to Ontario including the Ottawa River and its tributaries, all the Great Lakes except Lake Superior, in southwestern Ontario and the southern part of Manitoba (Scott and Crossman, 1973).  A listing of Ontario water bodies known to contain channel catfish as of January 2003 is given by Kerr (2003). Channel catfish have been widely introduced outside their native range and can today be found almost everywhere in the USA, in all the Pacific and Atlantic drainages (Scott and Crossman, 1973).

Imported to Europe in the nineteenth century, the channel catfish was eventually introduced to many countries around the world. It is now established in Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, the Netherlands, with established self-sustaining populations in Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Belarus, Russia, Spain and Romania. Katano et al. (2010) investigated the status of I. punctatus in Japan, which, introduced in 1971, is now widely distributed in the Abukuma, Tone and Yahagi River systems, as well as in Lake Shimokotori. Several specimens have also been caught in Lake Hinuma and the Miya and Seta Rivers in 2008 and 2009 (Katano et al., 2010).

There appears to be some disagreement regarding the presence of the channel catfish in Turkey; Cildir (2001) reported that its introduction into Lake Egirdir was unsuccessful. However, it is listed as being present in a report listing its use in aquaculture and stocking operations (Olenin et al., 2008) and in reservoir systems (Innal and Erk’akan, 2006; Innal, 2012).

It has been widely introduced for sport fishing throughout the USA; its large size and excellent taste make it a popular target of anglers. Its high fecundity, tolerance of extreme environmental conditions, and resistance to diseases, not only make this species suitable for commercial cultivation but also contributes to its success in establishing itself in areas where it has been introduced (Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004). Cultured worldwide today, it has been introduced in more than 32 countries including Italy, Brazil, China, Japan and Russia for aquaculture and recreational fisheries (Welcomme, 1988). It was introduced to Europe for the purpose of aquaculture in the 1990s (Elvira and Almodovar, 2001); in Italy for instance, the channel catfish was introduced to increase the source of aquatic food and as a resource for the sport fishing sector (Copp et al., 2005).

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

History of Introduction and Spread

The channel catfish was widely stocked by the United States Fish Commission (USFC) and state authorities as a food and sport fish. The USFC shipped stocks of channel catfish to more than twenty states in 1892 and 1893, including Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Wisconsin, Colorado and Idaho (Dill and Cordone, 1997). According to Page and Burr (1991), the channel catfish has now been introduced to much of the USA, including the Delaware River, San Francisco Bay, the Hudson River, the Columbia River and the Connecticut River. It has been introduced in at least 30 states and reported to be established in most (Page and Burr, 1991; Fuller et al., 1999). It has also been introduced to more than 32 countries throughout the world (Welcomme, 1988). Channel catfish have been introduced to Belgium, Cyprus, the former Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Italy, UK, former USSR and the former Yugoslavia (Holcik, 1991; Kosco et al., 2004). Wild populations have reportedly established themselves in the lower Ebro (Spain), River Oglio and Pavia Province (northern Italy) and in the lower Kuban and Don drainages (Russia) (Doadrio, 2002; Kottelat and Freyhof, 2007; Hermoso et al., 2008). Savini et al. (2010) identified the channel catfish as one of 27 aquatic alien fish species, first introduced to Europe in 1900 for the purpose of food production and sport fishing, with established feral populations in four countries not identified in the report. Although some reports (Innal and Erk’akan, 2006; Olenin et al., 2008) indicate its presence and a recent survey (Innal, 2012) of alien fish species in Turkey lists the channel catfish in reservoir systems, Cildir (2001) described attempts to introduce channel catfish into Turkish waters as being unsuccessful.

The channel catfish was introduced in Japan in 1971 for aquaculture and by the early 1990s was detected in natural water bodies around Lake Kasumigaura, an important commercial fishery. The population of I. punctatus which invaded the lake in the early 1980s increased slowly from 1995; a dramatic increase was then reported from 2000 (Hanzawa, 2004), with the increase in population ceasing in 2004, and I. punctatus abundance declining gradually ever since. Escapes from aquaculture facilities and illegal releases are believed to be responsible for the establishment of the channel catfish in the wild in Japan. I. punctatus has recently been documented to have invaded other water bodies that support Japanese commercial fisheries such as the River Tone, Lake Hinuma and Lake Biwa (Katano et al., 2010). Several specimens were caught in Lake Hinuma and the Miya and Seta Rivers in 2008 and 2009. In Japan, there are now restrictions on the import, transport and maintenance of channel catfish.

Channel catfish were introduced into central China to be cultured in cages in inland waters for food, and quickly became one of the most efficient aquaculture species (Tan and Tong, 1989; Ma et al., 2003).

Introduced for aquaculture in Brazil, the first report of the channel catfish was in the middle Paranapanema river by Zanata et al. (2010), believed to have been associated with the expansion of cage culture in the Chavantes Reservoir. Orsi and Agostinho (1999) noted that the first specimen of channel catfish collected in the lower Paranapanema River may have originated from fish farms sited along the river basin. According to several reports (Orsi and Agostinho, 1999; Vitule, 2009), Brazil seems to be highly vulnerable to invasion and successful spread of the channel catfish; it has been recommended for listing on a black list, and its use in aquaculture prohibited. Reports of occasional occurrences of I. punctatus in southern Brazilian inland waters have been documented since 2008 (Cruz et al., 2012).

In Honduras, it was introduced in the early 1960s for aquaculture by the United Fruit Company, with escapes into the Ulúa and Chamelecón Rivers following Hurricane Fifi in 1975  (Matamoros et al., 2009).

Channel catfish were introduced from North America to Belarus in 1979 for aquaculture in the Pripyat river basin (Shumak and Mischenko, 1989) and have been reported in fish farms. Although unable to reproduce in Belarus under natural conditions it has established a self-sustaining population in the warm waters of Lake Beloe, which serves as a power plant cooling reservoir (Kunitskiy, 2001). I. punctatus has been assessed as having a medium risk of becoming invasive in Belarus on the basis of the FISK assessment tool which yielded a score of about 15. The tool ranked fish species as having low, medium or high risk of being invasive (Copp et al., 2009): <1 indicates low risk; 1-18.9 medium risk; and 19 to a maximum of 54 indicates high risk.

The channel catfish was introduced to Chile for aquaculture in 1995 and though listed as an exotic species in the fresh waters of Chile in a survey by Iriarte et al. (2005); it is not listed as invasive in a list tabulated of such species. 

Introductions

Risk of Introduction

Stocking of the channel catfish for sport fishing and food in lakes, reservoirs and ponds outside its native range has resulted in the expansion of its distribution due to the network of canals and drainage systems connecting water bodies. In Brazil, the culture of channel catfish in fish farms or fish cages located in river floodplains, river channels or marginal ponds, has resulted in fish escapes during periods of flooding (Orsi and Agostinho, 1999; Zanata et al., 2010).

When introduced to ecosystems where there is overlap in food niches of native species, competition for the same food resources by channel catfish can lead to significant impacts on native species. As adult channel catfish prey upon a variety of species, the potential risk to affect all native species exists (Tyus and Nikirk, 1990).

Habitat

The channel catfish can be found in clean, rocky, well-oxygenated, medium to large rivers and streams, as well as still waters or slow flowing rivers and muddy waters (Becker, 1983). Etnier and Starnes (2001) reported that channel catfish are also able to adapt to habitats such as small to large creeks, reservoirs, natural lakes, swamps, oxbow lakes, farm ponds and larger trout streams. They may enter brackish water but appear to be limited by salinities of 1.7 ppt (Scott and Crossman, 1973), although specimens have been collected from waters with salinities of 11 ppt (Ross, 2001) and 11.4 ppt (Perry, 1968).  

Habitat List

Biology and Ecology

Reproductive Biology

Age at maturity appears to vary according to geographic location. For example, in Texas ponds individuals mature 18 months after hatching (Carlander, 1969), whereas in the coastal regions of Louisiana, at salinities of 3.5 ppt, specimens mature by the second or third year at 330-339 mm total length (TL) in males and 350-359 mm TL in females (Perry and Carver, 1973). In Lake Erie, half the males were mature when they reached 290 mm TL and half the females when they reached 250-255 mm TL (DeRoth, 1965). According to Appelget and Smith (1951), maturity is generally reached only when a total length of 305 mm is reached; in northern regions, channel catfish may only mature when 2-5 years of age or later (DeRoth, 1965).

Reported optimum spawning temperatures for channel catfish include 21°C (McMahon and Terrell, 1982), 21.7°C (McClellan, 1954), 23.8°C (Appleget and Smith, 1951), 23.9°C (Katz, 1954), 20.6°-23.3°C (Smith, 1974) and 21.1°-29.5°C (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1988). Spawning occurs in late spring and early summer when water temperatures reach 16-24°C (Appleget and Smith, 1951). Males generally select a suitable spawning site, usually in sheltered areas such as among stones, hollow logs, under banks or other suitable cover. Eggs are then laid in a nest excavated by the female after which males guard and fan the water over the nest for 5-10 days when the eggs hatch. Spawning takes 4-6 hours, with as many as 8000 eggs being laid (Appleget and Smith, 1951). Eggs require 15.5° to 29.5°C for development to occur, being unable to develop below 15.5°C, with optimum development occurring at 27°C (McMahon and Terrell, 1982). Fertilized eggs hatch in 6 days at 25°C and in 10 days at 15.6°C. Toole (1951) reported eggs hatching in 5-10 days in Texas ponds. 

Longevity

Channel catfish generally live 6 to 10 years although longer life spans have been reported with fish more than 14 years of age being reported in several waters. In Colorado, specimens reaching 22 years of age have been reported in an introduced population (Tyus and Nikirk, 1990) while in Canada, a specimen as old as 40 years of age has been recorded (Carlander, 1969).

Activity Patterns

According to Becker (1983), channel catfish may travel upstream or downstream in rivers to spawn. Movement of reservoir populations increases during or soon after periods of increased river flow. Duncan and Myers (1978) and Dames et al. (1989) observed that reservoir and river populations of channel catfish tend to migrate upstream in spring and downstream in the fall.

Nutrition

The channel catfish is an omnivorous, opportunistic feeder, feeding on both living and dead matter. It feeds by touch, and taste; taste buds located on the barbels help in the detection of prey (Joyce and Chapman, 1978). Channel catfish usually feed at night, and only at water temperatures above 15.6°C (Becker, 1983). Larval stages feed on midge larvae and pupae. Channel catfish smaller than 102 mm total length (TL) feed primarily on insects; while those larger than 102 mm TL continue to feed on aquatic insects, they also begin to feed on large species of mayflies and caddis flies. Larger fish tend to feed on terrestrial insects, seeds (from elm and cottonwood trees), crayfish, aquatic insect nymphs, snakes, birds, spiders and plant matter (Becker, 1983). Other plant food items include wild grapes, wild fruits, weed seeds and other plant matter falling into rivers and streams from overhanging branches. A high incidence of aquatic vegetation was reported in the stomachs of channel catfish sampled from a Missouri River reservoir, which included Ranunculus aquatilis, Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton crispus, Myriophyllum spicatum, Spirogyra spp. (Dagel et al., 2010). In coastal areas, small crustaceans (amphipods, isopods, xanthid crabs), midge larvae and pupae and organic detritus form the diet of fish larger than 76-119 mm. Menzel (1945) reported channel catfish feeding on plants such as filamentous green algae. Species of fish consumed by large channel catfish depend on their availability: minnows (Cyprinidae), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), crappie (Pomoxis spp.), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), hickory shad (Alosa mediocris), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), eels (Anguilla spp.), and green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) (Bailey and Harrison, 1945; Robinette and Knight, 1981). Flooding of steams allows channel catfish to consume terrestrial prey such as earthworms, crickets, centipedes and even mice and rats as they make their way onto flooded plains (Robinette and Knight, 1981). The stomach contents of one adult channel catfish from Canton Reservoir in Oklahoma reportedly contained an adult bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) (Buck and Cross, 1952), while cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus) have been reported in stomachs of channel catfish from a lake in Oklahoma (Heard, 1958). It is not known if the channel catfish had been feeding on live rats swimming on the surface or on drowned rats on the bottom.

Environmental Requirements

Survival in brackish water appears to be limited by salinities of 1.7 ppt, although specimens have been collected at 11 ppt (Ross, 2001). Although channel catfish prefer a temperature range of 28-30°C (Cheetham et al., 1976), they can survive higher temperatures; Allen and Strawn (1968) noted the upper lethal temperature for the species ranges from 36.6-37.8°C for acclimation temperatures of 26-34°C. They are known to survive at water temperatures close to freezing as well since channel catfish ponds in northwest Mississippi periodically freeze in winter (Moss and Scott, 1961). While dissolved oxygen levels greater than or equal to 7 mg/ml are optimum for growth and survival, levels of 5-7 mg/ml are considered acceptable; lethal levels of dissolved oxygen concentrations have been reported to be 0.95-1.08 mg/l (Meisenheimer, 1988). Dissolved oxygen levels less than 3 mg/ml retard growth, with feeding decreasing at less than 5 mg/ml (Randolph and Clemens, 1976). According to Becker (1983), embryonic and larval development will be affected if oxygen levels are too low, and that the deleterious effects of low oxygen levels are dependent on water temperature.

Juveniles prefer depths of 50-70 cm while adults go for the deepest water possible (Holland and Peters, 1992); both juveniles and adults prefer areas of slow to moderate currents e.g. less than 60 cm/sec (Holland and Peters, 1992). McMahon and Terrell (1982) however report that current velocities of less than 15 cm/sec are preferred in deep ponds and backwaters and optimal turbidity levels of below 100 ppm. 

Natural Food Sources

Climate

Latitude/Altitude Ranges

Air Temperature

Water Tolerances

Natural enemies

Notes on Natural Enemies

The large adult size and presence of spines means predation on channel catfish is likely to be limited to the younger stages. Young channel catfish are vulnerable to predation by insects, other fish and fish-eating birds. Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), herons (Ardea herodias) and pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) cause serious losses on catfish farms (Glahn et al., 1995; King et al., 1995; Wywialowski, 1999; Glahn et al., 2002). 

Pathway Causes

Pathway Vectors

Impact Summary

Economic Impact

Channel catfish in the James River estuary in Virginia were reported to prey on blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and white perch (Morone americana) and are known to eat the spawn of many other commercial sport and fishery species, including Atlantic shad (Alosa sapidissima), blueback herring (A. aestivalis), alewife (A. pseudoharengus) (Menzel, 1945). McGovern and Olney (1988) found M. americana eggs and M. saxatilis eggs and larvae in gut contents of juvenile channel catfish from the Pamunkey River in Virginia.

Environmental Impact

Impact on Biodiversity

Channel catfish were first introduced into the Upper Colorado River Basin in 1892 (Tyus and Nikirk, 1990) and are now common to abundant throughout much of the upper basin (Tyus et al., 1982; Nelson et al., 1995). It is one of the most prolific predators in the upper basin and, among the nonnative fishes, is thought to have the greatest adverse effect on endangered fish species (Hawkins and Nesler, 1991; Lentsch et al., 1996; Tyus and Saunders, 1996), primarily as a result of predation on juveniles and resource overlap with subadults and adults. Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) suggested that the introduction of channel catfish and other large predatory fishes (Micropterus salmoides, M. dolomieu) may have contributed to the extirpation of the native species Percina caprodes (logperch) in the Potomac river and Percopsis oniscomaycus (troutperch) in the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers. The channel catfish is a major predator of razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) in the Gila River (Marsh and Brooks, 1989) and along the Colorado River in California (Langhorst, 1989). Intense predation by channel catfish led to the failure of efforts to re-establish the critically endangered razorback sucker (X. texanus) in the Gila River Basin (Marsh and Brooks, 1989).  Lentsch et al. (1996) identified the channel catfish as one of six non-native species in the upper Colorado River basin that is a threat to the razorback sucker; it is also the principal non-native threat to juvenile, subadult and adult Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) in the San Juan River in New Mexico. As adult Colorado pikeminnow use the same habitats as adult channel catfish, there is a potential for negative interactions, particularly during periods of limited availability of resources (Wick et al. 1985; Tyus and Karp 1989; Nesler, 1995). In the James River estuary it preys upon Callinectes sapidus and Morone americana (white perch) and feeds on the spawn of M. americana, Alosa sapidissima (Atlantic shad), A. aestivalis (blueback herring) and A. pseudoharengus (alewife) (Menzel, 1945). The channel catfish hybridizes with the threatened Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei) in Mexico (Sublette et al., 1990; Kelsch and Jensen, 1997) while in New Mexico, it hybridizes with the native headwater catfish (I. lupus) (Kelsch and Hendricks, 1990). 

There are reports of the endangered Colorado squawfish (Colorado pikeminnow), Ptychocheilus lucius, choking on introduced channel catfish while trying to feed on them (McAda, 1983; Pimental et al., 1985). The predatory habit of the channel catfish is thought to be responsible for the decline of the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) (Marsh and Brooks, 1989) and the Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates chiricahuensis) in Arizona (Rosen et al., 1995) and the humpback chub (Gila cypha) in the Little Colorado River (Marsh and Douglas, 1997). The channel catfish is also believed to have contributed to the extirpation of an isolated population of trout perch, Percopsis omiscomaycus, in the Potomac River in Virginia and Maryland (Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). A decrease in crayfish numbers due to predation by channel catfish in mesocosm experiments (Adams, 2007), implies it could be responsible for the decline in native crayfish populations in habitats where the channel catfish has been introduced. In Japan, invasion by channel catfish of Lake Kasumigaura, an important inland commercial fishery, is thought to be the major cause of the decline in populations of native species and subsequent damage to commercial fisheries (Hanzawa, 2004; Hanzawa and Arayama, 2007; Arayama, 2010; Katano et al., 2010). 

Threatened Species

Risk and Impact Factors

• Invasive in its native range
• Proved invasive outside its native range
• Has a broad native range
• Abundant in its native range
• Highly adaptable to different environments
• Is a habitat generalist
• Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
• Capable of securing and ingesting a wide range of food
• Highly mobile locally
• Long lived
• Fast growing
• Has high reproductive potential
• Gregarious
• Has high genetic variability

• Altered trophic level
• Changed gene pool/ selective loss of genotypes
• Damaged ecosystem services
• Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
• Increases vulnerability to invasions
• Modification of natural benthic communities
• Modification of nutrient regime
• Reduced native biodiversity
• Threat to/ loss of endangered species
• Threat to/ loss of native species

• Competition - monopolizing resources
• Hybridization
• Predation
• Rapid growth

• Highly likely to be transported internationally accidentally
• Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
• Highly likely to be transported internationally illegally
• Difficult/costly to control

Uses List

Animal feed, fodder, forage

• Bait/attractant

General

• Laboratory use
• Pet/aquarium trade
• Research model
• Sport (hunting, shooting, fishing, racing)

Genetic importance

• Gene source

Human food and beverage

• Meat/fat/offal/blood/bone (whole, cut, fresh, frozen, canned, cured, processed or smoked)

Similarities to Other Species/Conditions

Although I. punctatus resembles the headwater catfish, I. lupus, it has more than 25 anal fin rays (less than 25 for I. lupus), and the caudal fin in younger specimens is deeply forked. I. punctatus can be distinguished from the blue catfish (I. furcatus) by the presence of a shorter rounded anal fin (the margin of the anal fin being almost straight in I. furcatus) (Sublette et al., 1990).

In Brazil, the introduced channel catfish is often confused with the native silver catfish jundia (Rhamdia quelen). The native silver catfish, however, has 3 pairs of barbels while the channel catfish has 4 (Wellborn, 1988); the first ray of the dorsal fin of the channel catfish exists as a rigid spine while in the silver catfish, it is soft. 

Prevention and Control

Due to the variable regulations around (de)registration of pesticides, your national list of registered pesticides or relevant authority should be consulted to determine which products are legally allowed for use in your country when considering chemical control. Pesticides should always be used in a lawful manner, consistent with the product's label.

Prevention

Careful consideration of an introduction before it occurs reduces the potential risks of intentional introductions of non-indigenous species. Several protocols have been developed to evaluate proposed introductions, and address environmental concerns, such as the ICES Code of Practice and the American Fisheries Society protocol (Elvira, 2001). When a proposal to introduce channel catfish into New Zealand for aquaculture was made, a review team considered the environmental risks posed. As the evidence obtained from the North American experience indicated that one or more valued species was likely to suffer a decline in abundance or distribution if channel catfish were introduced, the review team concluded that the environmental risk posed by the introduction of the channel catfish was unacceptable (Townsend and Winterbourn, 1992). Education programmes that promote a general awareness of the consequences of the introduction of non-indigenous species and means of minimising the risks of introduction, and the enforcement of existing legislation are vital in preventing the spread of introduced fish species. 

Fish screens could be installed to prevent the escape of channel catfish from ponds and reservoirs into rivers where they might interact with native fishes. Screening reservoir outlets, berming ponds to prevent nonnative fishes from escaping into rivers, and working with state authorities as in the United States, to regulate stocking of nonnative fishes are some of the measures being taken to regulate channel catfish populations (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 2004). In the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, channel catfish is stocked in lakes that are not connected to main stem rivers to prevent further spread of the species into unrestricted waterways (Boersma et al., 2006). Regulation of escapes from aquaculture and illegal introductions is also necessary, along with a need for more comprehensive monitoring to reduce the future expansion of I. punctatus from lakes to connecting rivers.

Eradication

While chemical measures would harm endangered species which occupy the same or adjacent habitat, mechanical removal (active and passive netting) is not only expensive but impossible for total removal, according to Tyus and Saunders (2000). Nonetheless, mechanical removal of channel catfish has been proposed as a long-term, efficient means of removing channel catfish to suppress its abundance. There have been short-lived individual removal efforts in the Upper Colorado River Basin lasting 2-3 years, targeting the channel catfish, involving the use of electrofishing, netting and angling (Brooks et al., 2000; Jackson and Badame, 2002; Modde and Fuller, 2002; Davis, 2003).

The use of intensive fishing has also been proposed as larger catfish are vulnerable to fishing and angling has all but eliminated larger specimens in some regions e.g. Wyoming (Gerhardt and Hubert, 1991). Unfortunately, commercial fishing of channel catfish in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers has been so effective that fishing had to be stopped or size restrictions imposed to enable the populations to recover. According to Pool (2007) no known programme exists to control wild populations of invasive channel catfish in the Pacific Northwest region.

In Japan, to prevent further ecological and economic damage by I. punctatus in Lake Kasumigaura, steps were taken by the authorities to reduce their numbers. From 2005, Ibaraki Prefecture, with the help of local fishermen, initiated an I. punctatus removal project, which required them to remove I. punctatus caught as a by-product when fishing with stationary nets. Matsuzaki et al. (2011) suggest that more proactive and intensive stationary netting may be an effective method for reducing I. punctatus populations in Lake Kasumigaura. 

Gaps in Knowledge/Research Needs

Further research is required to quantify the extent of the interaction between the channel catfish and native species where the former has been introduced, and investigate its potential for establishment in the wild and possible environmental consequences.

References

Adams SB, 2007. Direct and indirect effects of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) on native crayfishes (Cambaridae) in experimental tanks. American Midland Naturalist, 158:85-96

Allen KO, Strawn K, 1968. Heat tolerance of channel catfish, Ictalurus puntalatus. Proceedings of the Southeast Association of Game and Fish Commission, 21:399-411

Amori G, Angelici FM, Frugis S, Gandolfi G, Groppali R, Lanza B, Relin G, Vicini G, 1993. Vertebrata. In: Minelli A, Ruffo S, La Posta S, eds. Checklist delle specie Della Funa Italiana, 110. Calderini, Italy, 983 pp

Appleget J, Smith Jr LL, 1951. The determination of age and rate of growth from vertebrae ofthe channel catfish, Ictalurus lacustris punctatus. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc, 80:119-139

Arayama K, 2010. Experimental determination of the attributes of channel catfish prey. Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi, 76:68-70

Bailey RM, Harrison HM, 1945. Food habits of the southern channel catfish (Ictalurus lacustris punctatus). Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 75:110-138

Becker GC, 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. Madison, WI, USA: University of Wisconsin Press, xii + 1052 pp

Behnke RJ, Wetzel RM, 1960. A preliminary list of the fishes found in the fresh waters of Connecticut. Copeia, 1960(1):141-143

Boersma PD, Reichard S, Buren AVan, 2006. Invasive species in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, USA: University of Washington Press, 276 pp

Bogutskaya NG, Naseka A, 2002. An overview of nonindigenous fishes in inland waters of Russia. Proc. Zool. Inst. Russ. Acad. Sci, 296:21-30

Brock VE, 1960. The introduction of aquatic animals into Hawaiian waters. Internationale Revue der Gesamten hydrobiology, 45(4):463-480

Brooks JE, Buntjer MJ, Smith JR, 2000. Non-native species interactions interactions: management implications to aid in recovery of the Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius and razorback sucker Xyrauchen texanus in the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Buck H, Cross F, 1951. Early limnological and fish population conditions of Canton Reservoir, Oklahoma, and fishery management recommendations. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA: Res. Found. Okla. A.&M. CoIlege, 110 pp

Cam GH, 2011. La piscicultura del Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) en Costa Rica. UTN Informa, 58:49-52

Carlander KD, 1969. Handbook of freshwater fishery biology. Volume 1. Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames, vi+752 pp

Carmichael GJ, Schmidt ME, Marizut DC, 1992. electrophoretic identification of genetic markets in channel catfish and blue catfish by use of low-risk tissues. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 121:26-35

Chakalall B, 1993. Species cultured in insular Caribbean countries, B. French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname. Caribbean Technical Co-operation Network Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture. RLAC/93/28-PES-24. Santiago, Chile: FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

Cheetham JL, Garten Jr CL, King CL, Smith MH, 1976. Temperature tolerance and preference of immature channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Copeia, 1976(3):609-612

Chiba K, Taki Y Sakai K, Oozeki Y, 1989. Present status of aquatic organisms introduced into Japan. In: De Silva SS, ed., Exotic aquatic organisms in Asia, Proceedings of the Workshop on Introduction of Exotic Aquatic Organisms in Asia, p 63-70, Asian Fish Soc. Spec. Publ. 3,. Manila, Philippines: Asian Fish Society

Cildir H, 2001. Introduction of exotic vertebrates in Turkey: a review and an assessment of their impact. MSc thesis. Ankara, Turkey: Middle East Technical University, 101 pp

Coats WA, Dillard JG, Waldrop JE, 1989. The effect of off-flavor on costs of producing farm-raised catfish. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Agricultural Economics Research Report 184, Mississippi, USA: Mississippi State University

Contreras BS, Escalante CMA, 1984. Distribution and known impacts of exotic fishes in Mexico. In: Courtenay WR Jr, Stauffer JR Jr, eds. Distribution, biology and management of exotic fishes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA, 102-130

Copp GH, Bianco PG, Bogutskaya N, Ero?s T, Falka I, Ferreira MT, Fox MG, Freyhof J, Gozlan RE, Grabowska J, Kovàc V, Moreno-Amich R, Naseka AM, Penàz M, Povz M, Przybylski M, Robillard M, Russell IC, Stakenas S, Sumer S, Vila-Gispert A, Wiesner C, 2005. To be, or not to be, a non-native freshwater fish? Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 21:242-262

Copp GH, Vilizzi L, Mumford J, Fenwick GV, Godard MJ, Gozlan RE, 2009. Calibration of FISK, an invasiveness screening tool for nonnative freshwater fishes. Risk Analysis, 29(3):457-467. http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/risk

Cowx IG, Nunn AD, 2008. Alien species sheet: Ictalurus punctatus. Sustainable management of Europe's natural resources. D2. Analysis of the impacts of alien species on aquatic ecosystems. IMPASSE Project No 044142 [ed. by Gollasch, S. \Cowx, I. G. \Nunn, A. D.]. 103-105

Cruz SSda, Leal ME, Albornoz PCL, Schulz UH, 2012. First record of the exotic channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque 1818) (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) in the Rio dos Sinos basin, RS, Brazil. Biota Neotropica, 12(3):64-67. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1676-06032012000300005&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Csavas I, 1995. Status and perspectives of culturing catfishes in East and South-East Asia. Presented at the International Workshop on the Biological Bases for Aquaculture of Siluriformes, May, Montpellier, France

Dagel JD, Wuellner MR, Willis DW, 2010. Channel catfish diets include substantial vegetation in a Missouri River Reservoir. The Prairie Naturalist, 42(1/2):1-7

DAISIE, 2013. Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe. DAISIE (online). www.europe-aliens.org

Dames HR, Coon TG, Robinson JW, 1989. Movements of the channel and flathead catfishes between the Missouri River and a tributary, Perche Creek. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 118:670-679

Davis JE, 2003. Non-native species monitoring and control, San Juan River 1999-2001. Progress report for the San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service, 67 pp

DeRoth GC, 1965. Age and growth studies of channel catfish in western Lake Erie. Journal of Wildlife Management, 29(2):280-286

Dill WA, 1990. Inland fisheries of Europe. EIFAC Technical Paper No. 52, 52. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization, 471 pp

Dill WA, Cordone AJ, 1997. History and status of introduced fishes in California, 1871-1996. Fish Bulletin. State of California, USA: Department of Fish and Game, 178

Doadrio I, 2002. Atlas of Spanish fishes. Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Medio Ambient, 374 pp

Duncan TO, Myers Jr MR, 1978. Movements of channel and flathead catfish in Beaver Reservoir, northwest Arkansas. Proceedings of the Arkansas Academy of Science, 32:43-45

Dunham RA, Smitherman RO, 1984. Ancestry and breeding of catfish in the United States. Circular, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, No. 273:93 pp

Economou AN, Giokoumi S, Vardakas L, Barbieri R, Stoumboudi M, Zogaris S, 2007. The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece - an update based on a hydrographic basin survey. Mediterranean Marine Science, 8(1):91-166

Eidman HM, 1989. Exotic aquatic species introduction into Indonesia. In: De Silva SS, ed. Exotic aquatic organisms in Asia: Proceedings of the Workshop on Introduction of Exotic Aquatic Organisms in Asia. Manila, Philippines: Asian Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 3. Asian Fisheries Society, 57-62

Eidman HM, 1989. Exotic aquatic species introduction into Indonesia. In: Exotic aquatic organisms in Asia. Proceedings of the Workshop on Introduction of Exotic Aquatic Organisms in Asia. Asian Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 3 [ed. by Silva, S. De]. Manila, Philippines: Asian Fisheries Society, 57-62

Eldredge LG, 1994. Perspectives in aquatic exotic species management in the Pacific islands. Volume I. Introduction of commercially significant aquatic organisms to the Pacific islands. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia, 127 pp

Elvira B, 2001. Identification of non-native freshwater fishes established in Europe and assessment of their potential threats to the biological diversity. Strasbourg, France: Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, 35 pp. https://wcd.coe.int/com.instranet.InstraServlet?command=com.instranet.CmdBlobGet&InstranetImage=1338217&SecMode=1&DocId=1464096&Usage=2

Elvira B, Almodóvar A, 2001. Freshwater fish introductions in Spain: facts and figures at the beginning of the 21st century. J. Fish Biol, 59(Suppl):323-331

Engle CR, 1989. An economic comparison of aeration devices for aquaculture ponds. Aquacultural Engineering, 8(3):193-207

Engle CR, 2003. The evolution of farm management, production efficiencies, and current challenges to catfish production in the United States. Aquaculture Economics and Management, 7:67-84

Engle CR, Dellenbarger L, Hatch U, Capps OJr, Dillard J, Kinnucan H, Pomeroy RS, 1990. The U.S. market for farm-raised catfish: an overview of consumer, supermarket and restaurant surveys. Bulletin - Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, No. 925:25pp.; [13 fig., 5 tab.]

Engle CR, Hatch U, 1988. Economic assessment of alternative aquaculture aeration strategies. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 19:85-96

Engle CR, Kouka PJ, 1996. Effects of inflation on the cost of producing catfish. Belzoni, Mississippi, USA: The Catfish Bargaining Association

Engle CR, Pounds GL, 1994. Trade-offs between single- and multiple-batch production of channel catfish: an economics perspective. Journal of Applied Aquaculture, 3:311-332

Engle CR, Pounds GL, van der Ploeg M, 1995. The cost of off-flavor. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 26(3):297-306

Engle CR, Valderrama D, 2001. An economic analysis of the performance of three sizes of catfish Ictalurus punctatus fingerlings understocked in multiple-batch production. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 32(4):393-401

Engle CR, Valderrama D, 2001. Effect of stocking density on production characteristics, costs, and risk of producing fingerling channel catfish. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 63(3):201-207

Engle CR, Valderrama D, 2002. The economics of environmental impacts in the United States. In: Tomasso JP, ed. Aquaculture and the Environment in the United States. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA: US Aquaculture Society, A Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society

Engle CR, Valderrama D, 2003. Farm-level costs of settling basins for treatment of effluents from levee-style catfish ponds. Aquacultural Engineering, 28(3/4):171-199

Etnier DA, Starnes WC, 2001. Fishes of Tennessee. Knoxville, Tennessee, USA: University of Tennessee Press, 681 pp

FAO, 1997. FAO Database on Introduced Aquatic Species. FAO, Rome, Italy: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations

FishBase, 2004. Entry for Ictalurus punctatus. Main ref.: Page LM, Burr BM, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 191-192, 389. Online at www.fishbase.org. Accessed 12 November 2004

Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre Malaysia (FFRC), 2001. American channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) spawning breakthrough in Malaysia. Penang, Malaysia: Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre, Malaysia (FFRC). http://www.fri.gov.my/

Froese R, Pauly D, 2004. FishBase DVD. Penang, Malaysia: Worldfish Center. Online at www.fishbase.org

Froese R, Pauly D, 2013. FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org

Fuller PL, Nico LG, Williams JD, 1999. Nonindigenous fishes introduced into inland waters of the United States. Gainesville, Florida: Florida Caribbean Science Center

Gabrielyan BK, 2001. An annotated checklist of freshwater fishes of Armenia. Naga, 24(3/4):23-29

Gerhardt DR, Hubert WA, 1991. Population dynamics of lightly exploited channel catfish stock in the Powder River system, Wyoming-Montana. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 11:200-205

Glahn JF, Brugger KE, 1995. The impact of double-crested cormorants on the Mississippi delta catfish industry: a bioenergetics model. Colonial Waterbirds, 18 (Special Publication 1):168-175

Glahn JF, Dixon PF, Littauer GA, McCoy RB, 1995. Food habits of double-crested cormorants wintering in the Delta Region of Mississippi. Colonial Waterbirds, 18 (Special Publication 1):158-167

Glahn JF, Werner SJ, Hanson T, Engle CR, 2002. Cormorant depredation losses and their prevention at catfish farms: Economic considerations. Human Conflicts with Wildlife: Economic Considerations Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. 138-146. August 2000

Hadjinikolova L, Hubenova T, Zaikov A, 2010. Status and development tendencies of freshwater aquaculture production in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 16(3):398-405. http://agrojournal.org

Hallerman EM, Dunham RA, Smitherman RO, 1986. Selection or drift isozyme allele frequency changes among channel catfish selected for rapid growth. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 115:60-68

Hanson TR, Dean S, Spurlock SR, 2004. Economic impact of the farm-raised catfish industry on the Mississippi State economy. Journal of Applied Aquaculture, 15(1/2)

Hanzawa H, 2004. The diet of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in Lake Kasumigaura. Bulletin of Ibaraki Prefectural Freshwater Fisheries Experimental Station 39:52-58. (as cited in Matsuzaki et al. Bulletin of Ibaraki Prefectural Freshwater Fisheries Experimental Station, 39:52-58

Hanzawa H, Arayama K, 2007. Seasonal distribution patterns of the alien species, the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in Lake Kaumigaura, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Aquaculture Science, 55:515-520

Hawkins JA, Nesler TP, 1991. Nonnative fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin: an issue paper. Final Report of Colorado State University Larval Fish Laboratory to Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. Denver, Colorado, USA: Colorado State University, US Fish and Wildlife Service. http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/docs/fwcb/lfl/PDF/LFL-048-Hawkins_and_Nesler-1991-Pub.pdf

Heard WR, 1958. Cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus, as food of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences for Conservation, 39:200-201

Hermoso V, Blanco-Garrido F, Prenda J, 2008. Spatial distribution of exotic fish species in the Guadiana river basin, with two new records. Limnetica, 27:189-194

Holcík J, 1991. Fish introductions in Europe with particular reference to its central and eastern part. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 48(Supplement 1):13-23

Holland RS, Peters EJ, 1992. Habitat use and suitability of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the lower Platte River, Nebraska. Proceedings of the 54th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference, 6-9 December 1992. Toronto, Canada: 54th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference

Hubert, 1999. Biology and management of channel catfish. American Fisheries Society, 24:3-22

Innal D, 2012. Alien fish species in reservoir systems in Turkey: a review. Management of Biological Invasions, 3(2):115-119

Innal D, Erk'Akan F, 2006. Effects of exotic and translocated fish species in the inland waters of Turkey. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 16(1):39-50. http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=100215

Iriarte JA, Lobos GA, Jaksic FM, 2005. Invasive vertebrate species in Chile and their control and monitoring by government agencies. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78:143-154

Jackson JA, Badame PV, 2002. Centrarchid and channel catfish control in the middle and lower Green River; 1997 and 1998. Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program Project 59. Utah, USA: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 46 pp

Jenkins RE, Burkhead NM, 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. Bethesda, MD, USA: American Fisheries Society

Joyce EC, Chapman GB, 1978. Fine structure of the nasal barbel of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Journal of Morphology, 158(2):109-154

Juliano RO, Guerrero R III, Ronquillo I, 1989. The introduction of exotic aquatic species in the Philippines. In: De Silva SS, ed. Proceedings of the Workshop on Introduction of Exotic Aquatic Organisms in Asia: The Asian Fisheries Society, 83-90

Kaliba A, Engle CR, 2003. Chicot county, Arkansas: The economic impact of the catfish industry. ETB257, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Cooperative Extension Program, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

Kaliba A, Engle CR, 2004. The economic impact of the catfish industry on Chicot County, Arkansas. Journal of Applied Aquaculture, 15(1/2)

Karsi A, Cao DF, Li P, Patterson A, Kocabas A, Feng JN, Ju ZL, Mickett KD, Liu ZJ, 2002. Transcriptome analysis of channel catfish, (Ictalurus punctatus): initial analysis of gene expression and microsatellite-containing cDNAs in the skin. Gene, 285(1/2):157-168

Katano O, Sakuma T, Iwasaki J, Kita A, Ozaki M, Sakamoto H, Yamazaki Y, Abe N, Niimi K, Uegaki M, 2010. Current status of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in Japan. Japanese Journal of Conservation Ecology, 15(1):147-152

Katz M, 1954. Reproduction of fish. Data for Handbook of Biological Data. 22 pp

Kelsch SW, Hendricks FS, 1990. Distribution of the headwater catfish Ictalurus lupus (Osteichthyes: Ictaluridae). Southwestern Naturalist, 35:292-297

Kelsch SW, Jensen BL, 1997. Morphometric comparison of Yaqui and Channel catfishes. Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council, 1996 Symposium. California, USA: Proceedings of the Desert Fishes Council

Kerr SJ, 2003. Atlas of channel catfish waters in Ontario. Ontario, Canada: Ministry of Natural Resources, 16 pp

King DT, Glahn JF, Andrews KJ, 1995. Daily activity budgets and movements of winter roosting double-crested cormorants determined by biotelemetry in the delta Region of Mississippi. Colonial Waterbirds, 18 (Special Publication 1):152-157

Kinnucan H, Sindelar S, Wineholt D, Hatch U, 1988. Processor demand and price-markup functions for catfish: a disaggregated analysis with implications for the off-flavor problem. Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, 20(2):81-91; [5 tab., 1 app., OQEH]

Kosco J, Kosuth P, Lusk S, Kosuthova L, 2004. Distribution of family Ictaluridae in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic. Biodiversita Ichtyofauny CR, 5:45-53

Kottelat M, Freyhof J, 2007. Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes. Cornol, Switzerland: Publications Kottelat, 646 pp

Kunitskiy DF, 2001. Change in the structure of fish populations in waterbodies of the Pripyat River basin under conditions of anthropogenic transformation of Polesye depression. PhD thesis. Minsk, Belarus: Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus, 126 pp

Langhorst DR, 1989. A monitoring study of razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) reintroduced into the lower Colorado River in 1988. Final report for California Department of Fish and Game Contract FG-7494. Blythe, California, USA: California Department of Fish and Game

Lee DS, Gilbert CR, Hocutt CH, Jenkins RE, McAllister DE, Stauffer JRJr, 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. Raleigh, NC, RC: North Carolina State Museum of Natural History

Lee DS, Norden A, Gilbert CR, Franz R, 1976. A list of the freshwater fishes of Maryland and Delaware. Chesapeake Science, 17(3):205-211

Lentsch LD, Converse Y, Thompson PD, 1996. Evaluating habitat use of age-0 Colorado squawfish in the San Juan River through experimental stocking, 96-11. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: Utah Division of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife Resources

Liao I-C, Liu HC, 1989. Exotic aquatic species in Taiwan. In: De Silva SS, ed. Exotic aquatic organisms in Asia. Proceedings of the Workshop on Introduction of exotic Aquatic Organisms in Asia. Asian Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. 3, Asian Fisheries Society, Manila, Philippines, 101-108

Ligas A, 2007. Population dynamics of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818), in the Ombrone River (Tuscany, Italy). Atti Soc tosc Sci nat Mem Serie B, 114:57-62

Linder AD, 1963. Idaho’s alien fishes. Tebiwa, 6(2):12-15

Liu Z, Li P, Argue BJ, Dunham RA, 1998. Inheritance of RAPD markers in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), blue catfish (I. furcatus), and their F, F and backcross hybrids. Animal Genetics, 29(1):58-62

Liu Z, Nichols A, Li P, Dunham RA, 1998. Inheritance and usefulness of AFLP markers in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), blue catfish (I. furcatus), and their F1, F2, and backcross hybrids. Molecular and General Genetics, 258(3):260-268

Liu Z, Tan G, Kucuktas H, Li P, Karsi A, Yant DR, Dunham RA, 1999. High levels of conservation at microsatellite loci among ictalurid catfishes. Journal of Heredity, 90(2):307-312

Liu ZhanJiang, Li Ping, Kucuktas H, Nichols A, Tan Guo, Zheng XinMin, Argue BJ, Dunham RA, Yant DR, 1999. Development of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers suitable for genetic linkage mapping of catfish. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 128(2):317-327

Liu ZhanJiang, Tan Guo, Li Ping, Dunham RA, 1999. Transcribed dinucleotide microsatellites and their associated genes from channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 259(1):190-194

Liu ZJ, Karsi A, Li P, Cao DF, Dunham R, 2003. An AFLP-based genetic linkage map of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) constructed by using an interspecific hybrid resource family. Genetics, 165(2):687-694

Liu ZJ, Li P, Argue BJ, Dunham RA, 1999. Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers: usefulness for gene mapping and analysis of genetic variation of catfish. Aquaculture, 174(1/2):59-68

Liu ZJ, Li P, Kocabas A, Ju Z, Karsi A, Cao D, Patterson A, 2001. Microsatellite-containing genes from the channel catfish brain: evidence of trinucleotide repeat expansion in the coding region of nucleotide excision repair gene RAD23B, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 289:317-324

Losinger W, Siddhartha Dasgupta, Engle C, Wagner B, 2000. Economic interactions between feeding rates and stocking densities in intensive catfish Ictalurus punctatus production. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 31(4):491-502

Lyons J, Gonzalez-Hernandez G, Soto-Galera E, Guzman-Arroyo M, 1998. Decline of freshwater fishes and fisheries in selected drainages of West-Central Mexico. Fisheries, 23(4):10-18

Ma X, Bangxi X, Yindong W, Mingxue W, 2003. Intentionally introduced and transferred fishes in China's inland waters. Asian Fisheries Sciences, 16:279-290

Maitland PS, 2004. Keys to the freshwater fish of Britain and Ireland, with notes on their distribution and ecology. Ambleside, Cumbria, UK: UK Freshwater Biological Association (FBA), 248 pp

Marsh PC, Brooks JE, 1989. Predation by Ictalurid catfishes as a deterrent to re-establishment of hatchery-reared razorback suckers. Southwestern Naturalist, 34(2):188-195

Marsh PC, Douglas ME, 1997. Predation by introduced fishes on endangered humpback chub and other native species in the Little Colorado River, Arizona. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 131:797-816

Mastitsky SE, Karatayev AY, Burlakova LE, Adamovich BV, 2010. Non-native fishes of Belarus: diversity, distribution, and risk classification using the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit. Aquatic Invasions [Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, Montreal, Canada, 19-23 April 2009.], 5(1):103-114. http://www.aquaticinvasions.ru/2010/AI_2010_5_1_Mastitsky_etal.pdf

Matamoros WA, Schaefer JF, Kreiser BR, 2009. Annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of continental and insular Honduras. Zootaxa, 2307:1-38

Matsuzaki SS, Takamura N, Arayama K, Tominaga A, Iwasaki J, Washitani I, 2011. Potential impacts of non-native channel catfish on commercially important species in a Japanese lake, as inferred from long-term monitoring data. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 21(4):348-357. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0755

McAda CW, 1983. Colorado squawfish, Ptychocheilus lucius (Cyprinidae), with a channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Ictaluridae), lodged in its throat. Southwestern Naturalist, 28:119-120

McClellan WG, 1954. A study of the southern spotted channel catfish in Missouri ponds. Journal of Wildlife Management, 21:22-28

McGovern JC, Olney JE, 1988. Potential predation by fish and invertebrates on early life history stages of striped bass in Pamunkey River, Virginia. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 117:152-161

McMahon TE, Terrell JW, 1982. Habitat suitability index models: Channel catfish. FWS/OBS-82/10.2. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service, 29 pp

Meisenheimer P, 1988. Descriptions of critical fish habitat for species in the area of the undertaking. Toronto, Canada: Fisheries Branch, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 134 pp

Menzel RW, 1945. The catfish fishery of Virginia. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 73:364-372

Miller EE, 1966. Channel catfish. In: Calhoun A, ed. Inland fisheries management. Sacramento, California, USA: California Department of Fish and Game

Minckley WL, 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Phoenix, Arizona, USA: Arizona Fish and Game Department

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 1988. Minnesota's catfish. St Paul's, Minnesota, USA: Fisheries Section publication, 7 pp

Modde T, Fuller M, 2002. Feasibility of channel catfish reduction in the lower Yampa River. Upper Colorado River Basin Recovery Implementation Program Project 88. Vernal, Utah, USA: Colorado River Fish Project

Molar S, Walker S, 1998. Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) Workshop. Report on Freshwater Fishes of India. Coimbatore, India: Zoo Outreach Organisation GBSG

Morse SR, 1905. Fresh and salt water fish found in the waters of New Jersey, part I. Annual Report of the New Jersey State Museum, MacCrellish and Quigley, State Province, Trenton

Moss DD, Scott DC, 1961. Dissolved oxygen requirements of three species of fish. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 90:377-393

Moyle PB, 1976. Inland fishes of California. Berkeley, CA, USA: University of California Press

Nava AF, 2007. Aquaculture and seed resources in Latin America: a regional synthesis. Assessment of freshwater fish seed resources for sustainable aquaculture, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 501 [ed. by Bondad-Reantaso, M. G.]. Rome, Italy: FAO, 91-102

Neal JW, Lilyestrom CG, Kwak TJ, 2009. Factors influencing tropical island freshwater fishes: species, status, and management implications in Puerto Rico. Fisheries (Bethesda), 34(11):546-554. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8446-34.11.546

Nelson P, McAda C, Wydoski D, 1995. The potential for nonnative fishes to occupy and/or benefit from enhanced or restored floodplain habitat and adversely impact the razorback sucker: an issue paper. Denver, Colorado, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Nesler TP, 1995. Interactions between endangered fish and introduced gamefishes in the Yampa River, Colorado 1987-1991. Fort Collins, Colorado, USA: Colorado Division of Wildlife, Aquatic Research Section, 184 pp

NOBANIS, 2005. North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species. http://www.nobanis.org

Olden JD, Poff NL, 2005. Long-tern trends of native and non-native fish faunas in the American Southwest. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 28(1):75-89

Olenin S, Didžiulis V, Ovcarenko I, Olenina I, Nunn AD, Cowx IG, 2008. Environmental impacts of alien species in aquaculture. Sustainable management of Europe's natural resources. D1.4 Review of introduction of aquatic species in Europe. IMPASSE Project No 044142. 63 pp

Orsi ML, Agostinho AA, 1999. Introducao de especies de peixes por escapes acidentais de tanques de cultivo em rios da bacia do Rio Parana, Brasil. Revista Brasileira Zoologia, 16(2):557-560

Page LM, Burr BM, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston, USA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 432 pp

Pérez JE, Alfonsi C, Nirchio M, Muñoz C, Gómez JA, 2003. The introduction of exotic species in aquaculture: a solution or part of the problem? Interciencia, 28(4):234-238

Perry Jr WG, 1968. Distribution and relative abundance of blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, and channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, with relation to salinity. Proc. S.E. Assoc. Game Fish Comm, 21:436-444

Perry Jr WG, Carver DC, 1973. Length at maturity and total length-collarbone length conversions for channel catfish,Ictalurus punctatus, and blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, collected from the marshes of southwest Louisiana. Proceedings of the Southeast Association of Game and Fish Commission, 26:541-553

Piedras SRN, 1990. Manual pratico para o cultivo do channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Pelotas, Brazil: Educat, 74 pp

Pimental R, Bulkley RV, Tyus HH, 1985. Choking of Colorado squawfish, Ptychocheilus lucius (Cyprinidae) on a channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Ictaluridae), as a cause of mortality. Southwestern Naturalist, 30:154-158

Pool TK, 2007. Channel catfish review: life-history, distribution, invasion dynamics and current management strategies in the Pacific Northwest. Washington, USA: University of Washington, 12 pp

Rab A, Afzal M, Akhtar N, Ramzan Ali M, Khan SU, Khan MF, Mehmood S, Qayyam M, 2007. Introduction of channel catfih Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque) in Pakistan and its performance during acclimatisation and pond culture. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 39(4):239-244

Randolph KN, Clemens P, 1976. Home areas and swimway of channel catfish culture ponds. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 105(6):725-730

Robinette HR, Knight SS, 1981. Foods of channel catfish during flooding of the Tombigbee River, Mississippi. Proceedings of the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 35:598-606

Robinson E, Li M, 1999. Catfish Protein Nutrition. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletin 1090, Mississippi, USA: Mississippi State University

Robinson EH, Li MH, Manning BB, 2001. A practical guide to nutrition, feeds, and feeding of catfish. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bulletin 1113, Mississippi, USA: Mississippi State University

Rosen PC, Schwalbe CR, Parizek DAJ, Holm PA, Lowe CH, 1995. Introduced aquatic vertebates in the Chiricahua region: effects on declining ranid frogs. In: Biodiversity and Management of the Madrean Archipelago: The Sky Islands of Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico [ed. by DeBano, L. F. \Gottfried, G. J. \Hamre, R. H. \Edminster, C. B. \Ffolliott, P. F. \Ortega-Rubio, A.]. Fort Collins, Colorado, USA: Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, 251-261 pp

Ross ST, 2001. The Inland Fishes of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, Jackson, 624 pp

Salikhov T, Kamilov B, 1995. Ichthyofauna of the mid-Syr Darya basin. Journal of Ichthyology, 35(6):61-71

Savini D, Occhipinti-Ambrogi A, Marchini A, Tricarico E, Gherardi F, Olenin S, Gollasch S, 2010. The top 27 animal alien species intorduced into Europe for aquaculture and related activities. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 26(Supplement 2):1-7

Scott WB, Crossman EJ, 1973. Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bulletin 184, NO. 184:966 pp

Shumak VV, Mischenko NV, 1989. First results of acclimatisation of the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the cooling reservoirs Lake Beloe. Proceedings of the All-Union workshop on new objects and technologies of fishery on thermal waters. Moscow, Russia: VNIIPRKH Press, 92-93 pp

Singh AK, Lakra WS, 2011. Risk and benefit assessment of alien fish species of the aquaculture and aquarium trade into India. Reviews in Aquaculture, 3(1):3-18. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1753-5131

Smith HM, 1896. A review of the history and results of the attempts to acclimatize fish and other water animals in the Pacific states. Bulletin of the US Fish Commission, 40:379-472

Smith NW, 1974. Age, growth, food, fecundity, maturation and local distribution of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in the Ottawa River near Ottawa and Hull, Canada. MSC thesis. Ottawa, Canada: University of Ottawa, 96 pp

Stickley AR Jr, Warrick GL, Glahn JF, 1992. Impact of double-crested cormorant populations on channel catfish farms. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 23:192-198

Sublette JE, Hatch MD, Sublette M, 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University New Mexico Press, 393 pp

Sugunan VV, 1997. Fisheries management of small water bodies in seven countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. FAO Fisheries Circular, No. 933. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 149 pp

Tally K, 2000. Seafood Trend Newsletter. Seattle, Washington, USA

Tan G, Karsi A, Li P, Kim S, Zheng X, Kucuktas H, Argue BJ, Dunham RA, Liu ZJ, 1999. Polymorphic microsatellite markers in Ictalurus punctatus and related catfish species. Molecular Ecology, 8(10):1758-1760

Tan Y, Tong HE, 1989. The status of the exotic aquatic organisms in China. In: De Silva SS, ed. Exotic aquatic organisms in Asia. Proceedings of the Workshop on Introduction of Exotic Aquatic Organisms in Asia. Asian Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ., 3, 35-43

Terhune JS, Wise DJ, Khoo LH, 2002. Bolbophorus confusus infections in channel catfish in Northwestern Mississippi and effects of water temperature on emergence of cercariae from infected snails. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 64(1):70-74

Toole M, 1951. Channel catfish culture in Texas. Progressive Fish Culturist, 13(1):3-10

Townsend CR, Winterbourn MJ, 1992. Assessment of the environmental risk posed by an exotic fish - the proposed introduction of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) to New Zealand. Conservation Biology, 6:273-282

Trautman MB, 1957. Fishes of Ohio. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University Press

Tucker CS, 2000. Channel catfish. In: Encyclopedia of Aquaculture [ed. by Stickney, R. B.]. New York, USA: John Wiley & Son Inc

Tucker CS, Hargreaves JA, 2004. Biology and culture of channel catfish. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 676 pp

Tucker CS, Robinson EH, 1990. Channel catfish farming handbook. New York, USA: Van Nostrand Reinhold

Tyus HM, Burdick BD, Valdez RA, Haynes CM, Lytle TA, Berry CR, 1982. Fishes of the upper Colorado River basin: distribution, abundance, and status. In: Fishes of the upper Colorado River system: present and future [ed. by Miller, W. H. \Tyus, H. M. \Carlson, C. A.]. Bethesda, Maryland,, USA: Western Division, American Fisheries Society, 12-70 pp

Tyus HM, Karp CA, 1989. Habitat use and streamflow needs of rare and endangered fishes, Yampa River, Colorado and Utah. US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 89. Colorado, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1-27

Tyus HM, Nikirk NJ, 1990. Abundance, growth and diet of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in the Green and Yampa rivers, Colorado and Utah. The Southwestern Naturalist, 35:188-198

Tyus HM, Saunders JF, 1996. Nonnative fishes in the upper Colorado River basin and a strategic plan for their control. Final report of University of Colorado Center for Limnology to Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. Denver, Colorado, USA: University of Colorado

Tyus HM, Saunders JFIII, 2000. Nonnative fish control and endangered fish recovery: lessons from the Colorado River. Fisheries, 25(9):17-24

USDA/APHIS Catfish, 2003. Part II: reference of foodsize catfish health and production practices in the United States, 2003. National Animal Health Monitoring System, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services

USGS, 2013. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida, USA: United States Geological Survey. http://nas.er.usgs.gov

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 2004. Utah nonnative fish management questions and answers. Utah, USA: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. http://wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/nonnative/q_and_a.html

Uzunova E, Zlatanova S, 2007. A review of the fish introductions in Bulgarian freshwaters. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria, 37(1):55-61. http://www.aiep.pl/index.html

Vanderford MH, 1984. Channel catfish management in the 50 states. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA: US Fish and Wildlife Service

Varela-Romero A, Hendrickson DA, Yepiz-Plascencia G, Brooks JE, Neely DA, 2011. Status of the Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei) in the United States and Northwestern Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist, 56(2):277-285. http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1894/N09-CMT-05.1

Venable DL, Gaudé APIII, Klerks PL, 2000. Control of the trematode Bolbophorus confusus in channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus ponds using salinity manipulation and polyculture with black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 31(2):158-166

Verreycken H, Thuyne GVan, Belpaire C, 2009. Science Facing Aliens, 2nd Belgian Conference on Biological Invasions, 11 May 2009, Brussels, Belgium. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Biodiversity Platform

Vidthayanon C, 2005. Aquatic alien species in Thailand (Part 1): Biodiversity. In: International mechanisms for the control and responsible use of alien species in aquatic ecosystems. Report of an Ad Hoc Expert Consultation, Xishuangbanna, People's Republic of China, 27-30 August 2003 [ed. by Bartley, D. M.\Bhujel, R. C.\Funge-Smith, S.\Olin, P. G.\Phillips, M. J.]. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 113-117

Vitule JRS, 2009. Introduction of fishes in Brazilian continental ecosystems: review, comments and suggestions for actions against the almost invisible enemy. Neo Biol Cons, 4(2):111-122

Waldbieser GC, Bosworth BG, 1997. Cloning and characterization of microsatellite loci in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Animal Genetics, 28(4):295-298

Waldbieser GC, Bosworth BG, Nonneman DJ, Wolters WR, 2001. A microsatellite-based genetic linkage map for channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Genetics, 158(2):727-734

Welcomme RL, 1988. International introductions of inland aquatic species. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper, No. 294:x + 318 pp

Wellborn TL, 1988. Channel catfish: life history and biology. Southern Regional Aquaculture Center Publication No. 180, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, College Station, Texas, USA: Southern Regional Aquaculture Center

Wick EJ, Hawkins JA, Carlson CA, 1985. Colorado squawfish and humpback chub population and habitat monitoring, 1983-1984. Endangered Wildlife Investigations Final Report SE 3-7. Denver, Colorado, USA: Colorado Division of Wildlife

Wydoski RS, Whitney RR, 1979. Inland fishes of Washington. Seattle, Washington, USA: University of Washington Press, 220 pp

Wywialowski AP, 1999. Wildlife-caused losses for producers of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in 1996. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 30(4):461-472

Zambrano L, Macias-Garcia C, 2000. Impact of introduced fish for aquaculture in Mexican freshwater system. In: Nonindigenous freshwater organisms. Vectors, biology, and impacts [ed. by Claudi, R. \Leach, J. H.]. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press, 113-124 pp

Zanata AS, Ramos IP, Silva RJda, Langeani F, Carvalho ED, 2010. Pisces, Siluriformes, Ictaluridae, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818): First record in middle Paranapanema river reservoir, aquaculture and exotic species dispersion. Check List, 6(4):589-591

Distribution References

Anon, 1988. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. [ed. by Welcomme R L]. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. x + 318 pp.

CABI, Undated. Compendium record. Wallingford, UK: CABI

CABI, Undated a. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI

Cam GH, 2011. (La piscicultura del Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) en Costa Rica). In: UTN Informa, 58 49-52.

Cildir H, 2001. Introduction of exotic vertebrates in Turkey: a review and an assessment of their impact. MSc thesis., Ankara, Turkey: Middle East Technical University. 101 pp.

Copp G H, Bianco P G, Bogutskaya N, Erős T, Falka I, Ferreira M T, Fox M G, Freyhof J, Gozlan R E, Grabowska J, Kovàč V, Moreno-Amich R, Naseka A M, Penbreve˜àz M, P, 2005. To be, or not to be, a non-native freshwater fish? Journal of Applied Ichthyology. 242-262.

Cowx IG, Nunn AD, 2008. Alien species sheet: Ictalurus punctatus. In: Sustainable management of Europe's natural resources. D2. Analysis of the impacts of alien species on aquatic ecosystems. IMPASSE Project No 044142, [ed. by Gollasch S, Cowx IG, Nunn AD]. 103-105.

DAISIE, 2013. Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe. http://www.europe-aliens.org/

Dill W A, 1990. Inland fisheries of Europe. In: EIFAC Technical Paper, Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization. vii + 471pp.

Dill W A, Cordone A J, 1997. Fish Bulletin, State of California, USA: Department of Fish and Game. 414 pp.

Economou AN, Giokoumi S, Vardakas L, Barbieri R, Stoumboudi M, Zogaris S, 2007. The freshwater ichthyofauna of Greece - an update based on a hydrographic basin survey. In: Mediterranean Marine Science, 8 (1) 91-166.

FAO, 1997. FAO Database on Introduced Aquatic Species., Rome, Italy: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

Froese R, Pauly D, 2004. FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org

Froese R, Pauly D, 2013. FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org

Hadjinikolova L, Hubenova T, Zaikov A, 2010. Status and development tendencies of freshwater aquaculture production in Bulgaria. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science. 16 (3), 398-405. http://agrojournal.org

Iriarte JA, Lobos GA, Jaksic FM, 2005. Invasive vertebrate species in Chile and their control and monitoring by government agencies. In: Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 78 143-154.

Lee D S, Gilbert C R, Hocutt C H, Jenkins R E, McAllister D E, Stauffer J R Jr, 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. In: Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. Raleigh, NC, USA: North Carolina State Museum of Natural History.

Ligas A, 2007. Population dynamics of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque, 1818), in the Ombrone River (Tuscany, Italy). In: Atti Soc tosc Sci nat Mem Serie B, 114 57-62.

Lyons J, González-Hernandéz G, Soto-Galera E, Guzmán-Arroyo M, 1998. Decline of freshwater fishes and fisheries in selected drainages of west-central Mexico. In: Fisheries, 23 10-18.

Ma X, Bangxi X, Yindong W, Mingxue W, 2003. Intentionally introduced and transferred fishes in China's inland waters. In: Asian Fisheries Sciences, 16 279-290.

Maitland P S, 2004. Keys to the freshwater fish of Britain and Ireland, with notes on their distribution and ecology. [ed. by Maitland P S]. Ambleside, UK: Freshwater Biological Association (FBA). 248 pp.

Matamoros WA, Schaefer JF, Kreiser BR, 2009. Annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of continental and insular Honduras. In: Zootaxa, 2307 1-38.

Matsuzaki S S, Takamura N, Arayama K, Tominaga A, Iwasaki J, Washitani I, 2011. Potential impacts of non-native channel catfish on commercially important species in a Japanese lake, as inferred from long-term monitoring data. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 21 (4), 348-357. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-0755 DOI:10.1002/aqc.1198

Molar S, Walker S, 1998. Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (CAMP) Workshop. In: Report on Freshwater Fishes of India, Coimbatore, India: Zoo Outreach Organisation GBSG.

Nava AF, 2007. Aquaculture and seed resources in Latin America: a regional synthesis. In: Assessment of freshwater fish seed resources for sustainable aquaculture, FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 501, [ed. by Bondad-Reantaso MG]. Rome, Italy: FAO. 91-102.

Neal J W, Lilyestrom C G, Kwak T J, 2009. Factors influencing tropical island freshwater fishes: species, status, and management implications in Puerto Rico. Fisheries (Bethesda). 34 (11), 546-554. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1577/1548-8446-34.11.546 DOI:10.1577/1548-8446-34.11.546

NOBANIS, 2005. NOBANIS - invasive alien species fact sheet - Nymphoides peltata. In: Online Database of the North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species - NOBANIS, NOBANIS. http://www.nobanis.org

Olenin S, Didziulis V, Ovcarenko I, Olenina I, Nunn AD, Cowx IG, 2008. Environmental impacts of alien species in aquaculture. In: Sustainable management of Europe's natural resources. D1.4 Review of introduction of aquatic species in Europe. IMPASSE Project No 044142, 63 pp.

Pérez J E, Alfonsi C, Nirchio M, Muñoz C, Gómez J A, 2003. The introduction of exotic species in aquaculture: a solution or part of the problem? Interciencia. 28 (4), 234-238.

Piedras SRN, 1990. (Manual pratico para o cultivo do channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus))., Pelotas, Brazil: Educat. 74 pp.

Rab A, Afzal M, Akhtar N, Ramzan Ali M, Khan SU, Khan MF, Mehmood S, Qayyam M, 2007. Introduction of channel catfih Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque) in Pakistan and its performance during acclimatisation and pond culture. In: Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 39 (4) 239-244.

Salikhov T, Kamilov B, 1995. Ichthyofauna of the mid-Syr Darya basin. In: Journal of Ichthyology, 35 (6) 61-71.

Scott W B, Crossman E J, 1973. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin, Ottawa, Canada: Fisheries Research Board of Canada. 966 pp.

Shumak VV, Mischenko NV, 1989. First results of acclimatisation of the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the cooling reservoirs Lake Beloe. [Proceedings of the All-Union workshop on new objects and technologies of fishery on thermal waters], Moscow, Russia: VNIIPRKH Press. 92-93.

Singh A K, Lakra W S, 2011. Risk and benefit assessment of alien fish species of the aquaculture and aquarium trade into India. Reviews in Aquaculture. 3 (1), 3-18. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1753-5131 DOI:10.1111/j.1753-5131.2010.01039.x

Sugunan V V, 1997. Fisheries management of small water bodies in seven countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In: FAO Fisheries Circular, Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 149 pp.

USGS, 2013. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database., Gainesville, Florida, USA: United States Geological Survey. http://nas.er.usgs.gov

Uzunova E, Zlatanova S, 2007. A review of the fish introductions in Bulgarian freshwaters. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. 37 (1), 55-61. DOI:10.3750/AIP2007.37.1.08

Verreycken H, Thuyne GVan, Belpaire C, 2009. Science Facing Aliens, 2nd Belgian Conference on Biological Invasions, 11 May 2009., Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Biodiversity Platform.

Vidthayanon C, 2005. Aquatic alien species in Thailand (Part 1): Biodiversity. In: International mechanisms for the control and responsible use of alien species in aquatic ecosystems. Report of an Ad Hoc Expert Consultation, Xishuangbanna, People's Republic of China, 27-30 August 2003. [ed. by Bartley D M, Bhujel R C, Funge-Smith S, Olin P G, Phillips M J]. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 113-117.

Wydoski RS, Whitney RR, 1979. Inland fishes of Washington., Seattle, Washington, USA: University of Washington Press. 220 pp.

Zambrano L, Macias-Garcia C, 2000. Impact of introduced fish for aquaculture in Mexican freshwater system. In: Nonindigenous freshwater organisms. Vectors, biology, and impacts, [ed. by Claudi R, Leach JH]. Boca Raton, USA: CRC Press. 113-124.

Links to Websites

Contributors

22/10/13 Updated by:

Uma Sabapathy Allen, CABI, Nosworthy Way, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8DE, UK 

Main Author
Carole Engle
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Aquaculture/Fisheries Cent of Excellence, Woodard Hall, Room 219, 1200 N. University Drive, Mail Slot 4912, Pine Bluff, AR 71603, USA

Distribution Maps