The Life Cycle of Catfish

In partnership with: Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce

People enjoy catfish fried up, grilled or baked, but have you ever thought about how it got there?

Mississippi is the top producing state in the country, and is full of delicious and nutritious catfish. In 2021, Mississippi catfish production covers 35,100 acres and has annual farmer sales of about $226 million. Mississippi produces over 70% of all U.S. farm-raised catfish. Most catfish are raised in one of the 205 catfish operations in Mississippi. Catfish farms are most popular in the Delta and East-Central Mississippi.

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The biggest benefits to raising are sustainability, consistency in production, size and taste.

1. Egg

On catfish farms, mature, breeding fish will remain in the cycle for up to six years. Mature female catfish lay 3,000 to 4,000 eggs per pound of bodyweight each year.

Eggs are laid by mature females and fertilized by the males. Once fertilized, the eggs are taken to a hatchery. Catfish hatcheries are specifically designed to replicate a natural catfish environment.

2. Sac Fry

After seven days, the eggs hatch and are moved to grow-out tanks in the hatchery. This level of maturity is called “sac fry” because the young fish get their nutrients from attached yolk sacs.

Once the yolk is used up, the fish will learn to swim and eat. Then, they will be moved to designated ponds to begin to grow. 

3. Swim Up Fry

Once the yolk is used up and fish have developed mouth parts, the fish will “swim up” to the surface of the tank and begin to search for food. After four or five days of feeding, they will be moved to designated ponds for grow-out.

See more: Farm Facts: Catfish

4. Fingerling

The next maturation stage is fingerling. Once the fingerlings are 4 to 6 inches long (close to an index finger, where they get their name), they are moved to larger, freshwater ponds. These ponds are usually 10 to 20 acres in size and 4 to 6 feet deep, filled with fresh water. 

5. Maturation

Depending on the life stage of the catfish, fish are fed feeds that vary in levels of protein and size of pellets, but their diet  consists of blends of soybean meal, corn, wheat, vitamins and minerals. These pellets are specifically designed to float and encourage the fish to come to the top of the water for food rather than feeding on the bottom. Fish are known to adopt the flavor characteristics of their own food. Feeding fish a specific, scientifically formulated diet ensures top quality and flavor.

The fish remain in these ponds for a year to 18 months to reach harvest weight.

6. Broodstock

At this stage, mature male and female channel catfish are selected from grow-out ponds and moved to broodstock ponds. Once moved, they are allowed to spawn, and their eggs are harvested from the spawning cans provided.

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7. Harvest

When the fish reach about 1 pound each, they are harvested with large, weighted nets, called seines, and loading baskets. They are then loaded into large, aerated trucks to be transported to processing facilities. The fish are transported alive, in water, and oxygen is supplied to each tank.

8. Processing

U.S. catfish processing facilities are closely monitored and inspected by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. U.S. catfish is the first and only seafood to be processed under strict food and safety standards.

At the plant, the fish are delivered live, treated humanely and processed quickly. The fish are cleaned, processed and individually quick-frozen or placed on ice. The entire process takes 30 minutes from fish to frozen fillets. This quick process ensures freshness and high quality.

From the plant, processed filets, nuggets, strips and ready-to-cook meals are shipped to retailers and restaurants. 

Learn more at uscatfish.com.

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