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3 • l • ~ i • ~s CHANNEL CATFISH (Ictalurus punctatus) HABITAT USE INFORMATION General - The native range of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) extends from the southern portions of the Canadian prairie provinces south to the -Gulf states, west to the Rocky Mountains, and east to the Appalachian Mountains (Trautman 1957; Miller 1966; Scott and Grossman 1973). They have been widely introduced outside this range and occur in essentially all of the Pacific and Atlantic drainages in the 48 contiguous states (Moore 1968; Scott and Grossman 1973). The greatest abundance of channel catfish generally occurs in the open (unleveed) floodplains of the Mississippi and Missouri River drainages (Walden 1964). Abe, Growth, and Food Age at maturity in channel catfish is variable. Catfish from southern areas with longer growing seasons mature earlier and at smaller sizes than- those from northern areas (Davis and Posey 1958; Scott and Grossman 1973). Southern catfish mature at age V or less (Scott and Grossman 1973; Pflieger 1975) while northern catfish mature at age' VI or greater for males and at age VIII or greater for females (Starostka and Nelson 1974). Young-of-the-year (age 0) catfish feed predominantly on plankton and aquatic insects (Bailey and Harrison 1948;`Walburg 1975): Adults are oppor- tunistic feeders-with an extremely varied diet, including terrestrial and aquatic insects, detrital and plant material, crayfish, and molluscs (Bailey and Harrison 1948; Miller 1966;- Starostka and Nelson 1974). Fish may form a major part of the diet of catfish > 50 cm in length (Starostka and .Nelson 1974). Channel .catfish diets in rivers and reservoirs do°not "appear to be si nificantl different 9 y (see "Bailey. and g y Harrison 1948;`Starostka`,and Nelson 1974: Feedin is.done b both"vision and chemosenses`(Davis 1959) and occurs primarily at -"night (Pflieger:1975) : 'Bottom"` feeding i s more `characteristic 'but food is also taken .throughout the water column (Scott and Grossman 197.3). Addfitional information on thee-composition 'of `adult and'-juvenile diets is provided in Leidy and. Jenkins (1977): Reproduction _._ ,. Channel catfish spawn=in .late spring and early summer (generally"late May through 'mid-July) when temperatures reach about 21°.C (Clemens and Sneed 1957; Marzolf 1957; Pflieger 1975)." Spawning 'requirements"appear'to"; be a;major..- factor in determining habitat suitability for channe l<catfish (Clemens and Sneed .1957,)_.:` Spawnin is greatly inhibited if suitablenesting cover" is unavailable (Marzolf 1~7).' ~ ;", S ecific Habitat Re uirements Channel catfish populations occur over a broad range of environmental conditions (Sigler-and Miller 1963; Scott and Grossman 1973). Optimum riverine