Aquaculture Feed and Fertilizer Resources Information System
 

Channel catfish - Growth

Channel catfish grow best in warm water, with optimum food consumption and growth occurring at temperatures of about 29 to 36 °C. In the wild, the average size of channel catfish caught by fishermen is about 1–1.5 kg; however, they can reach much larger sizes (up to 25 kg). The size and age that channel catfish reach in natural waters depends on many factors, including environmental conditions, food availability and habitat suitability. The maximum recorded age for channel catfish is 40 years, whereas commercially raised catfish are generally harvested before they are two years old.

Water quality requirements for wild channel catfish are not different from those of farm-raised channel catfish. The lethal oxygen level for both wild and farm-raised catfish is about 1.0 ppm. However, fish growth rate is reduced at oxygen concentrations of less than 4 ppm. Channel catfish are no more tolerant of high levels of ammonia and nitrites in natural waters than under aquaculture conditions, but these fish are rarely exposed to lethal concentrations of either.