Blue Catfish, White Cat, White Fulton, Fulton, Humpback Blue, Forktail Cat, and Blue Channel Catfish

Mississippi River basin from western Pennsylvania to southern South Dakota and the Platte River, southwestern Nebraska, south to the Gulf of Mexico; tributaries of the gulf from Mobile Bay basin, Alabama, to the Rio Grande drainage, Texas and New Mexico. Ictalurus furcatus is endemic to the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio River basins of the central and southern United States and inhabits Gulf Coast streams from Alabama south into Mexico. Also, native to the Atlantic Slope of Mexico (Page and Burr 1991) if not distinguished separately from I. meridionalis (Gilbert 1998). Rarely found in the Mississippi above the confluence with the Missouri River (Becker 1983). Two historic records from Wisconsin (one from Lake Pepin, and one from Lansing Iowa) are believed to be misidentifications of Channel Catfish (Becker 1983). As such, Becker does not consider the species native to Wisconsin.

The harsh winters in their native and introduced range region make it likely Blue Catfish can survive low temperatures. They can be found in the Missouri River near Bismarck, North Dakota (Fuller and Neilson 2013). A CLIMATCH analysis included in the USFWS risk assessment for Blue Catfish found that the climate of the Great Lakes Basin closely matches the climate of their current range (Australian Bureau of Rural Sciences 2008).This species migrates toward warmer waters during winter and to cooler waters during summer (Graham 1999). Their preferred temperature is between 28 and 30°C.  In fish farms in Mississippi Delta, 95% survive after winter with temperatures as low of 5.1°C (Bosworth 2012).    

Blue Catfish can live in a variety of habitats. They inhabit river channels which have higher flows and harder substrates (i.e., gravel, boulders, rock rip rap), and floodplain lakes which have lower or no flows and softer substrates (i.e., silt, sand) (Eggleton and Schramm Jr 2004). Blue Catfish prefer open waters of large reservoirs and main channels, backwaters, and embayments of large, flowing rivers where water is normally turbid and substrate varies from gravel-sand to silt-mud (Burr and Warren 1986). Many rivers and reservoirs with I. furcatus populations have only mud or silt substrate. Blue Catfish prefer deep, swift channels and flowing pools (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994), and large individuals often are found in tailwaters below dams where currents are swift and substrates consist of sand, gravel, and rock (Mettee et al. 1996, Graham et al. 1999).

Blue Catfish are highly omnivorous. In the lower Mississippi River, across all habitats their diets were composed of 47% fishes (more than 15 identifiable species), 15% molluscs, 12% chironomids and oligochaetes, 7% detritus/plant matter, 6% decapods, 6% scavenging, and 1% terrestrial arthropods (Eggleton and Schramm Jr. 2004). Scavenged items were typically fishes and fish scales, but also included small mammals, birds, and turtles.

Blue Catfish spawns in late spring to early summer at water temperatures of 21 to 25°C (Sublette et al. 1990) In advance of spawning, Blue Catfish seek protected areas to deposit eggs behind rocks, root-wads, depressions, undercut stream banks, or other areas where the currents are minimal (Graham et al. 1999).
Males guard eggs and fry (Graham et al. 1999) which is a strategy associated with animals that have high colonization success.

Ictalurus furcatus has a High probability of introduction to the Great Lakes (Confidence level: High).

Potential pathway(s) of introduction: Escape from recreational culture, dispersal, unauthorized intentional release

Blue Catfish can migrate up to several hundred kilometers.The closest population to the Great Lakes basin is likely a stocked population documented in 1981 in Indian Lake, Ohio (Logan County), less than 20 km from the Lake Erie watershed (USGS NAS). However, this water body drains into the Ohio River and then into the Mississippi River, with no direct connection to the Great Lakes. Likewise, the sites of Minnesotan introductions (Lake St. Croix and Lake Peppin) also drain into the Mississippi River (USGS NAS). Blue Catfish is stocked for catch and keep at Litchfield Catfish Acres, Michigan, an artificial unconnected pond near the St. Joseph River (http://www.litchfieldcatfishacres.com/).

As a result of Blue Catfish growing to exceptionally large sizes, it has been widely introduced as a food and sport fish and now occurs in 29 states throughout the Mississippi basin as well as the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coastal slopes (Graham et al. 1999, Fuller and Neilson 2013). Blue Catfish are often found in fish markets (Graham et al. 1999).

Other reasons for nonindigenous occurrences include intentional stocking or unintentional flooding of private water bodies (Bonvechio et al. 2012, Guier et al. 1984, Metee et al. 1996).

In studies of the James and Rappahannock rivers Blue Catfish are estimated to make up 75% of the total fish biomass, and are associated with a decline in native White Catfish I. catus (Schloesser et al. 2011, Tuckey and Fabrizio 2011). Commercial landings of Blue Catfish in Maryland and Virginia have increased from 9.5-17 metric tons in 2003-2005 to more than 72.5 metric tons in 2008 (Schloesser et al. 2011).

Ictalurus furcatus has a Moderate probability of establishment if introduced to the Great Lakes (Confidence level: High).

Blue Catfish are found in many regions with climates similar to the Great Lakes. For example, they are found at a latitude of 46°N in the Missouri River near Bismarck, North Dakota (Fuller and Neilson 2013), . This region experiences harsh winters and hot summers - similar to the Great Lakes. Blue Catfish tolerance of pollution is not documented in the literature, but this species inhabits the lower Mississippi and the Chesapeake Bay watershed which both contain polluted areas. Areas where Blue Catfish are found have similar temperatures and salinities to the Great Lakes.
    This species is a dietary generalist that would likely find adequate food in the Great Lakes. Males guard eggs and fry (Graham et al. 1999) giving this species an advantage over other native fish that do not guard young.

Summary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...

Environmental	Socioeconomic	Beneficial

    There is little or no evidence to support that Ictalurus furcatus has the potential for significant socio-economic impacts if introduced to the Great Lakes.
    Blue Catfish may accumulate mercury in tissue (Nichols et al. 2002), leading to many consumption advisories for this species where they are found. There is no evidence that Blue Catfish negatively impacts infrastructure, economic sectors, recreational activities and associated tourism, or the aesthetic appeal of the areas it inhabits.

    Ictalurus furcatus has the potential for high beneficial impact if introduced to the Great Lakes.
    Blue Catfish are an economically important fishery; they are harvested by port and commercial fishers in 14 states, most of which are in east-central and southeastern states within the middle and lower Mississippi River and Ohio River basins (Graham et al. 1999, Michaletz and Dillard 1999, Holley et al. 2009). Blue Catfish also pose significant recreational value; fifteen states consider the species recreationally important (Graham et al. 1999, Michaletz and Dillard 1999, Schloesser et al. 2011)  Blue Catfish are unpopular with the aquaculture industry because of reported slow maturation rates, poor food conversion, and poor spawning success in captivity (Graham et al. 1999). California stocks Blue Catfish for Asiatic clam control (Graham et al. 1999) but this method is not very effective.

    Note: Check federal, state/provincial, and local regulations for the most up-to-date information.

    Control
    Biological
    There are no known biological control methods for this species.
    
    Physical
    Commercial, recreational, and food fisheries have been proposed to control Blue Catfish in the Chesapeake Bay (Fabrizio et al., 2010), however it is unlikely that fishing would fully eradicate an established Blue Catfish population.
    
    Chemical
    There are no known chemical control methods specific to this species. General piscicides (such as rotenone) may be used for control, but would also kill non-target species.

    Note: Check state/provincial and local regulations for the most up-to-date information regarding permits for control methods.

There is considerable doubt about the introduction of this species in the Potomac River near the turn of the century.  Although numerous authors (Bean and Weed 1911; McAtee and Weed 1915; Wiley 1970; Jenkins et al. 1972; Stauffer et al. 1978; Graham 1999) report that Blue Catfish were introduced between 1898 and 1905, it appears that statement is based on misidentification of I. punctatus (Burkhead et al. 1980),or if any of those fish actually were Blue Catfish, the introduction failed. Starnes et al. (2011) reported that young Blue Catfish were increasing in number and are now in the Potomac River, and in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal up through the Plummers Island region.