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| Channel cats info |
Common Names – fiddler, speckled cat, spotted cat channel cat
Physical Description: · Large, spotted body · Deeply forked tail · Somewhat rounded anal fin margin · Somewhat elongate body, round anteriorly, compressed posteriorly · Sharp dorsal and pectoral spines · Depressed head, small to moderate eye · Profile of the top of the head and nape is straight · Subterminal to inferior mouth · Gray to slate-blue colored Similar species: · Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) · Headwater catfish (Ictalurus lupus) · Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei) Mean body size: · Adults are 300-700 mm standard length
Habitat: · Warm, large streams, big rivers, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs possibly the New drainage ·
Food Habits: · Young feed on plankton and aquatic insect larvae · Juveniles and adults feed on aquatic invertebrates, fishes Live worms, salamanders, maggots, leeches, caterpillars, insects, frogs, fish, mussels, crayfish and stink baits
Reproductive Habits: · Mature around 4-6 years · Spawning occurs from late May to late June-early July in water that is 21-30ºC · Nests constructed in sheltered areas by the male or both sexes · Males care for the eggs · Fecundity is 4,200-10,600 eggs per female per year