Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes, 1840)Non-native  -  Invasive    
Kingdom Animalia   >   Phylum Chordata   >   Class Actinopterygii   >   Order Siluriformes   >   Family Ictaluridae   >   Genus Ictalurus   

Status:

"Blue catfish were introduced to the region in the 1970s, and are now considered an invasive species. Their growing numbers and rapid expansion throughout the region have raised concern about their potential impact on menhaden, blue crabs and other native species that play an important role in our ecosystem and economy." (Chesapeake Bay Program)

There are 51 records in the project database.

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A Blue Catfish caught on Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline Co., Maryland (3/19/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Blue Catfish (anal fin) in Caroline Co., Maryland (3/19/2016). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

A Blue Catfish caught in Charles Co., Maryland (7/31/2011). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

A Blue Catfish in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (6/7/2019). The fish measured 600 mm TL. Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

A Blue Catfish in Talbot Co., Maryland (3/6/2016). Photo by Vincent Roe. (MBP list)

A Blue Catfish in Calvert Co., Maryland (10/17/2019). Photo by Robert Aguilar, SERC. (MBP list)

A young Blue Catfish caught in Charles Co., Maryland (10/7/2018). Photo by Bill Hubick. (MBP list)

Blue Catfish in Cecil Co., Maryland (12/1/2021). (c) omihvtz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by omihvtz via iNaturalist. (MBP list)

Blue Catfish in Montgomery Co., Maryland (8/10/2021). (c) baltimorefishing1, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC). Photo by baltimorefishing1 via iNaturalist. (MBP list)


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MBP marks as "Invasive" any taxon listed in the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) list of Invasive Species of Concern in Maryland. You can read their criteria and review the lists here: https://mdinvasives.org/species-of-concern/.

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