Catfish is now the fourth most popular seafood product in the U.S. The catfish processing industry has grown dramatically to keep up with the increasing demand.

During the summer and early fall, it is not unusual for fish kills to occur in commercial ponds under uncertain circumstances.

The commercial production of catfish in the United States has increased at a phenomenal rate in the last three decades. By 1997, channel catfish culture was the largest aquaculture industry in the United States, with catfish production representing 72 percent (by weight) and 55 percent (by value) of the entire industry (U.S. Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture 1999).

Feeding is the most important task in the intensive pond production of catfish, and the person responsible for feeding should be an experienced fish culturist.

The success of channel catfish culture depends on maximizing production in a cost-effective manner.The greatest costs are those associated with feed and feeding. Producers and researchers are constantly seeking new ways of lowering these costs. One way of reducing feed costs is to take advantage of the phenomenon of compensatory growth.

Channel catfish, like all other animals, require a supply of vitamins for normal growth and health. By definition, vitamins are nutrients required to support growth and other bodily functions.

This list is comprised of contact information for catfish experts within the LSU Agricultural Center and the LSU - Baton Rouge campus.

It is important to purchase the best available catfish fingerlings when stocking commercial production ponds. Poor quality can result in delayed harvesting, underestimated stocking weights and disease transmission to fish already present in the pond. Fingerling quality is judged on grading, strain, health, and the supplier's reliability.

Catfish of the proper size are sold iced, frozen, or battered and breaded in the following forms: whole; dressed (deheaded, eviscerated and skinned); filleted; steaked; or as strips or nuggets.

Proper design and construction of ponds is critical to the success of a commercial catfish operation. Well-designed ponds, constructed on soil with proper clay content and adequate water supply, have a useful life of at least 10 years.