Sexing Channel Catfish...

[Frank Castle]

I know this thread might make me a laughing-stock since catfish are incredibly hard to sex, but is there anyone here who can sex them in natural garb, and/or in albino form? I raised one from 2 inches back in 2011 and put "it" in my friend's 7,500 gallon pond 3 years ago at 24", 3.5lbs......a yearling - no, seriously.....growth rate at 78F is 20+ INCHES PER YEAR for the 1st year and then some. I just bought an albino maybe 3" ATM. Any way I can tell if this one will be a good mate for the now-35-pounder that measures over 40-inches I "donated" 3 years ago?

They netted it when they dredged the pond last year with a net meant for big fish (like 6-8 foot handle, meant for light-saltwater or so).....it was so heavy it bent the metal net frame beyond repair, then snapped the wooden handle in half afterwards. Male or female, this channel cat will produce a LOT of young.

How do I make it happen?

 

[smitty03281964]

They are one heck of a nice fish. I had one and would just find myself captivated by him.

 

[dazzapolypterusweeksii]

Would love to see some pics. i think if you took some close up pics of the vent area you would be able to tell not to difficult

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Sexing for channels is unknown, e.g., per http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=6

FB (FishBase, not Facebook) http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Spe...punctatus&AT=Ictalurus+punctatus&lang=English states this about the spawning:

Life cycle and mating behavior
Spawning happens, depending on latitude, during the months of April-July, with temperatures between 27-28°C. Females lay their egges on a hole dug on sandy grounds. Incubation lasts 3-8 days, and larval development between 12-16 days, depending on temperature. The pair builds a depression in the ground, which is guarded by the male (Ref. 1672). Channel catfish requires cool water and short day lengths during the winter months for proper egg development; an egg mass can contain up to 20,000 eggs (Ref. 44091). Sexual maturity is reached at 2-3 years.

HTH

 

[dazzapolypterusweeksii]

Dosnt the sex unknown on planet catfish mean theres no sexual differences i.e in apperence like size difference between male and female or colour, broadness, age of sexual maturity etc. Wouldnt off thought that the sex organs would be identical.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

For most fish the sexual organ difference can only be observed upon section as their organs are on the inside, not outside. No external differences, for many no reliable external differences. Or such is my impression.

 

[blackbullhead]

Generally the easiest way to sex a channel catfish is by the head. Mature males have a broad, muscular, kind of spade-shaped head, while the female's head is smaller and more rounded. Also, between the pelvic fins, the female has two openings. The male has just one (the anus) and a small fleshy flap that sticks out a bit. All of this gets lots easier as the fish get larger. If you don't know the sex of the monster, best bet would just be to start with a handful of juveniles...

 

[Yellowcat]

With smaller specimens, almost impossible to tell the difference, in larger fish say 10 pounds and larger the difference is distinct, as stated above. Viewed from above, the males will have a bigger wider head and smaller girth whereas a female will have a smaller head and wider, thicker girth given two fish of the same length. As some say, 'big head-small shoulders' a male, 'small head-big shoulders' a female. Generally true for many species of catfish….

 

[Chicxulub]

Good info in this thread. I'll admit I've head the same sayings and found them to be generally true. However, you should be aware that they're anecdotal, not empirical, and as such they may not be 100% reliable.

That being said, I don't think anyone would laugh because you like NA native fishes. Ameiurus nebulosus cf. marmoratus is one of the most handsome fishes in existence, and both blues and channels have lots of fans here.

The best catfish that I've ever kept was a blue, Ictalurus furcatus.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I've taken a liberty to try solicit input from PCF community if any http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=43127