Channel Catch 715 17 mn; 2—161 mom 3-231 many 4299 mm; 5361 my 6-429 mms 7488 my 8596 mm; 9~610 mm 10-676 ma, 11-658 mum; and 12—709 mm (Apple {getand Smith 1951), From the same collection the r- Tisionship of length to weight at selected size inte vale was: 196 mm—54 g; 264 mm—136 g: 392 mm— 1526 gy 621 mm 1,510 g £3 mm—3,598 gy and 721 mm—4.314 5, "A S06 tt channel catfish from Lake Poygan (Wiau- shara County) had the fllowing estimated growth at {the annul of the pectoral fins: 190.4 mary 2—198.8 ‘my 395.3 mm; 4397.5 mm; and 3469.8 mm @aruch 197). 1h Virgina (Staufer et al, 1976, channel catfish in ‘the heated {@LsC fom a power plant had significnily lower condition than fish fom an up- ‘sream reference are, where the temperature was 26.7C, The condition factor (Ky) fo" fish from the nested area was 1.18; foe ish frm the reference area twas 1.23, "The age of channel catch at maturity varies greatly from one body of water to another. In Pool 9 of the ‘Mississipi River, Appleget and Smith (1951) noted that no fish in thee frat 4 yeas of fe were mature, but that in the ith year bath sexes (17.6%) showed some degree of sextal development. In the begin- fing ofthe nin year of if, 100% uf Une wales ed 50% ofthe females were mature. Neither sex reches ‘maturity a leas than 905 ma (12 in) ut many fish {nthe 390mm (1Sln) group are mare, Inthe south, ‘Davis (1959) noted that some channel catfish be: ‘ome sexually mature in thle second year, and that {ont of them spawa far the firs ne When they are years old Few channel catfsh live more than 8 years al though ovensonally lage catfish ver 15 yeas ld ae taken in Wisconsin water (Fike 1961. Such fish may ‘exceed 762 mm (0 in) in length and weigh 6.80 kg {05 1) or more. A 19.9% (44) channel catfish was taken from the Wisconsin River in 1962. The maxi- tum size known, 2 26.31-4g (5342) fish, was caught Inthe Santee Cooper Reservoir, South Carolina, in ig channel catfish tend to feed primarlly on ‘quatle nets or on bottom arthropods; after they each 100 mm they are usually omnivorous or pis- ‘Gvorous (Carlander 1969). In Lake Oahe, South Ds ‘Kota (Starostka and Nelson 1978), the dict changed from zooplankton to fish a6 the channel catfish i creased in length. Th the Wisconsin River (Adams County) during September, adult channel catfish had eaten insects (meluding Diptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Thi Bullhead Cash Family—tetauridae copter, Orthoptera, and Hemipters), and anne- Tid seeds, plant materials, and deetus (K, Pim ze pes. comm). There were no fh in he stomach tthe 22 ctf amined. In Poo! 19 ofthe Misasppt River, channel ets stomachs contained 68% Hexageis nals and sub- Inugos, but only 3% Potyit fr larvae. Mayfly Subtmagon appenced only in inne! catfish stom Shs culled between 24 June and 16 ly and het Presncealvays colnlded with periods of peak Traylly emergence. The remainder ofthe contents Irchuded immature Pleoptem and Dipter, dams, snail and algae (Hoopes 198) “According fo Pe (964, tems taken from chan- rl entish stomachs includ inet, fogs, cry, Sails, fishy clams, worms, algse, pondweeds, lm Seeds, wild grapes “ston” fom cattonwood ee, Petes of dred rab, chicken neck, canned corn, ef bones ard much more. Calander 096) sed ch unusual ese fom calls stomachs as & Sake sin an adalt Bobwhite and hydra in food: preference studies (Lewis etal 1969, channel catfish showed pronounced preference for ‘Gaylsh ofthe sight sie over ftheod hinnows, and Sfreteenee for fathead minnows over fingering, ‘nigga, gown sunfish, and golden shines. Finge= Ting arp and blends were poody tized, and tadpoles were Kled but not eaten. ‘Dead fish and other animals are sometimes in- luded inthe channel etfsh dct (Davis 1859). The ceccurrence of grasshoppers and other terres i Seats n stomachs indents that channel catfish take Some foe om the siace ofthe wats, hough they woually feed neat the botom. They have been trown to eat refine dacarded by people, and to Congregate near paces where guage Is dumped into Stroame and lake “Adult channel cfs usualy feed on the bottom. in random manner, detecting food by touch and Soc The eyen of the channel catish, which proportionately lager than those of other species of atc, seen tobe apt to ight feeding fo some dlgree (Davis 1959). Ths i consstnt with suse of nines as food en the eter ste leaes (Bi dey and Hardon 148. "The channel cali feeds most actively from sure dle ntl bout mag at water temperate tetween 10 and 344°C (0 and 98) Caley and Fnison 1945) In he winter ths specs rarely feeds, thd the avalabe evidence indicates tat adults do ot feed dung the breeding season. “Channel etic are most ecive wien water levels