Is this...rare?

[AG458]

So I stopped by a Bass Pro Shops recently and viewed their giant freshwater tank. There were largemouth basses, smallmouth basses, sunfish, crappie, and channel cats. One channel catfish, however, was white. Attached are some very bad phone pictures of the catfish next to another normal looking channel cat. What is your verdict?

 

[that_fish_Guy]

Not rare.

 

[AG458]

Not rare.

Ok, thanks for the confirmation. It was my first time seeing an albino one like that, so I wasn't sure. It was still cool though.

 

[krichardson]

I had one years ago.When the shops here have them they are usually in the pond fish sections.

 

[AG458]

I had one years ago.When the shops here have them they are usually in the pond fish sections.

What was it like to keep?

 

[krichardson]

What was it like to keep?

It definitely wasn't a picky eater thus it grew pretty fast lol.It was about three or four inches when I brought it home and over twelve inches about a year later when I rehomed it.

 

[J. H.]

It definitely wasn't a picky eater thus it grew pretty fast lol.It was about three or four inches when I brought it home and over twelve inches about a year later when I rehomed it.

That's how channelcats grow LOL.
The piebald ones are the cool ones

 

[krichardson]

That's how channelcats grow LOL.
The piebald ones are the cool ones

.....now,that variety might be considered rare.I have never seen them in any shop.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

The majority, if not almost all, farm raised channel catfish (for food) are albino. This is not uncommon. Same thing with Hemibagrus nemurus. It can be seen in IDS too, and in walking catfish the majority of which are piebald.

They are easy to keep. Will learn to eat anything. Will get up to 2.5'-3' in the first several years. By that time a grown man's fist can easily fit in their mouth. Champions will get up to 3.5'-4' and live a long life, several decades.