Get to know blue catfish: identifying features, habitat, food, and life cycle.
Identification & habitat
- Scientific name: Ictalurus furcatus.
- Skin: Smooth and scaleless; barbels help locate food.
- Tail: Deeply forked.
- Anal fin: Straight-edged, usually 30–35 rays.
- Spots: Lacks the channel catfish's dark body spots.
- Profile: Wedge-shaped front body with a steeply sloping back.
- Regional size: Missouri gives common adults of 20–44 inches and 3–40 pounds.
- Habitat: Large rivers, current-bearing pools, and clean sand or gravel.
- Movement: Seasonal migrations respond to temperature.
Food & behavior
- Feeding: On or near the bottom and sometimes in midwater.
- Menu: Fish, crayfish, aquatic insects, clams, and mussels.
Spawning, growth & lifespan
- Growth: Larger juveniles increasingly eat fish and large invertebrates.
- Spawning: Late spring or early summer in secluded cavities.
- Parenting: The male guards the nesting site.
- Longevity: At least 21 years documented in the agency account.
Sources & further reading
Research checked October 18, 2026. Common sizes and ages are examples rather than hard limits. Missouri spawning dates are regional unless another location is named. Consult the current local fishing rules for the water you plan to fish.