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Channel Catfish
Drake shaw; http://www.fishbase.us/photos/thumbnailssummary.php?ID=290# / EOL (CC BY) · CC-BY

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus

catfish
  • Look for dark spots scattered across the sides of the body — the species name literally means 'fish cat with spots'.
  • This catfish has a deeply forked tail fin, which helps tell it apart from flathead and bullhead catfish that have less forked or rounded tails.
  • The body is slender and streamlined compared to the broader, flattened head of a flathead catfish.
  • Like all North American catfish in its family, it has prominent whisker-like barbels around the mouth with no scales on the body.