Species sheet · The Edible River
Channel catfish
The fried star of the American South.
- Fillets dredged in cornmeal and fried, Southern style
- In a po'boy, in a crusty roll
- Blackened with Cajun spices in a skillet
- In French
- Poisson-chat américain
- Scientific name
- Ictalurus punctatus
- Status
- Invasive species
- In the water
- A fish of North American rivers and lakes, farmed on a huge scale in Mississippi ponds. Introduced into Europe, it roots along the bottom at night with its barbels.
- Season & buying
- Farmed all year; in Europe, where it is invasive, catching and eating it is encouraged.
- Common length
- ~50 cm
- How to identify it
- Smooth scaleless skin, bluish grey, speckled with dark spots in young fish
Eight barbels around the mouth
Deeply forked tail
On the plate
White, mild, moist flesh with a light flavour when it comes from clear water.
Avoid: Grabbing it bare-handed: the pectoral and dorsal spines sting and are mildly venomous; hold it from above, fingers behind the spines.
The United States farms more than a hundred thousand tonnes a year: it is the country's leading farmed fish, above all in Mississippi.
In Umay recipes
One Umay recipe calls for it.
