Ictalurus furcatus
(Lesueur 1840)
Family Ictaluridae

Lateral view of a blue catfish
The blue catfish pictured above was collected in Gulf County, Florida. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 238203. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall.

The blue catfish is a member of the North American catfish family. It has no black spots on the body and a straight-edged anal fin that is situated deeper anteriorly rather than posteriorly, and that has between 30 and 35 rays. Blue catfish can be found in lakes, impoundments and the main channels and backwaters of medium to large rivers.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Non-indigenous freshwater
  • Florida Distribution — Western and North Central drainages
  • River Drainages — the Apalachicola River and the Suwannee River
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