Catfish Biology and Farming

Abstract

This article summarizes the biology and culture of ictalurid catfish, an important commercial, aquaculture, and sport fish family in the United States. The history of the propagation as well as spawning of common catfish species in this family is reviewed, with special emphasis on channel catfish and its hybridization with blue catfish. The importance of the channel catfish female×blue catfish male hybrid, including current and future methods of hybrid catfish production, and the potential role it plays in the recovery of the US catfish industry are discussed. Recent advances in catfish culture elements, including environment, management, nutrition, feeding, disease control, culture systems, genetic improvement programs, transgenics, and the application of genome-based approaches in catfish production and welfare, are reviewed. The current status, needs, and future projections are discussed, as well as genetically modified organism developments that are changing the future.

A Review of Molecular Responses of Catfish to Bacterial Diseases and Abiotic Stresses

“…However, 37.5% of producers did not know whether vaccination changes survival rates (Bebak and Wagner, 2012). Apparently, ESC vaccines were quite effective in laboratories but were not consistently effective under the commercial pond environment (Dunham and Elaswad, 2018). Therefore, future studies are required to demonstrate the effectiveness of vaccines in commercial settings.…”

“…Enteric septicemia of catfish disease resistance of catfish is highly variable among species and strains from different geographic locations (Dunham and Elaswad, 2018). In general, blue catfish is more tolerant to ESC than channel catfish, although significant difference in channel catfish ESC resistance was found among various strains and families (Wolters and Johnson, 1994; Wolters et al, 1996; Tucker and Hargreaves, 2004).…”

“…Hybrids of Norris female channel catfish and male blue catfish had intermediate resistance compared to blue catfish or channel catfish (Wolters et al, 1996; Hawke et al, 1998), while hybrids of NWAC103 channel catfish and blue catfish showed lower mortality than either parental species when exposed to natural diseases of ESC (Dunham et al, 2008), suggesting that combination of strains and families of the parent species influence disease resistance of the hybrids. Hybrid catfish have become common in the catfish production industry in the United States, now make up 50–70% of all catfish production (Dunham and Elaswad, 2018). Therefore, analysis of resistance among various hybrid catfish becomes important.…”

“…In North America, channel catfish and hybrid catfish produced by mating female channel catfish with male blue catfish are the most important. Catfish production is the largest of U.S. finfish aquaculture, valued at approximately $423 million in 2012, and the economic impact of catfish industry is $2.5 billion (Dunham and Elaswad, 2018). However, the catfish production declined in recent years due to various reasons including fierce international competition, increased costs of fish feed, and disease problems.…”

Investigation of the Personal, Social and Economic Factors Influencing Catfish Farmers Utility in Choosing Pond Types: Implications for Profitability

“…Ukeje (2002) observed the principal constraints to the growth of the Nigerian fishery sub-sector as that of structural and technological changes which have retarded substantial growth in the sub-sector for over the years. The preference of farmers to culture catfish may be due to their better growth performance and survival (Dunham and Elaswad 2018), and a higher market value which is 2-3 times the tilapia value (Olagunju et. al., 2007).…”