Understanding which fish species are native to a particular watershed is important for development of conservation and fishery management plans. A species is considered native to an area if it naturally occurs there without human intervention. Conversely, species that...

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) is proposing a commercial electrofishing fishery for non-native catfishes in Virginia portions of Chesapeake Bay (Click here for notice). At the Finfish Management Advisory Committee (FMAC) meetings on November 14th and 2...

Virginia Tech scientists present an impressive Flathead Catfish from the James River during an electrofishing survey.

Although Blue Catfish receive a lot of attention in the Chesapeake Bay region, Flathead Catfish also present a potential threat to native species. A stu...

When a new species is introduced to an area, scientists are typically interested in the species' feeding behavior to determine how it will fit into its new ecosystem. Blue Catfish were introduced to Virginia tidal rivers beginning in the 1970s and have since exploded i...

Identifying fishes can be difficult, even for those with specialized training. Some groups of fishes are known to be difficult to identify (e.g., minnows and sculpins), as species look similar and distinguishing characteristics are subtle or may require a microscope to...

Catfishes are often thought of as sedentary fishes that lie on the bottom of the river, lake or pond waiting for an easy meal. Published studies have supported their sedentary nature (Pugh and Schramm 1999), but others have reported movements over 400 miles (Garrett an...

Flathead Catfish are native to many river systems flowing to the Gulf of Mexico, but now exist in several Chesapeake Bay drainages. The species is known to feed primarily on fishes and has been implicated in native fish declines along the Atlantic Coast. Flathead Catfi...

If you read an earlier post on ageing catfish (click here), you may have been curious about otoliths. Otoliths are calcium-based structures in the heads of ray-finned fishes. Their function is to aid in balance and hearing, similar to our inner ear bones. Otoliths sit...

Blue Catfish were introduced to tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay in the 1970s and 1980s to establish new fisheries, but their presence has generated concern for native species. Much of that concern stems from incredible abundances reported by scientists and fishers, c...

Once every couple months while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I'm inspired to put on my detective cap. I see an enormous catfish with a proportionally tiny person trying to present it to a camera. The caption reads something along the lines of “Huge Catfish Caught...