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Compare Wild and Farmed Catfish

Wild catfish are a popular catch with fisherman across the United States because of their size. While catfish are not in danger of being over-fished, catfish farms are a popular option for people looking for a better-tasting catfish. There are some major differences between farm-raised and wild catfish, ranging from living conditions and size to taste.

Food Sources
- One of the major differences between wild catfish and catfish raised in farms is what they eat. Farm-raised fish live off protein pellets that float on top of the water and are constantly fed to them. Wild catfish eat a variety of things, depending on their species. For example, the blue catfish will eat almost anything that reaches the bottom waters of their habitat, while other species feed on other fish, shrimp, mollusks, insects. Some types of catfish only eat vegetation.
Taste
- Many people prefer the taste of farm-raised catfish when compared to wild catfish. While this is a matter of personal preference, farm catfish is known to have a less fishy taste than wild catfish. Most people describe-farm raised catfish as having a mild and sweet flavor. Wild catfish that live in deep and muddy waters are almost muddy in texture and flavor, which comes from them living in unclean water. But not all wild catfish have a muddy taste to them; it depends on how clean their water is.
Reproduction Process
- Farm-raised catfish go through a different breeding process than wild catfish. Farms will pick mature catfish to breed, and they will remain in a breeding capacity for between four and six years. Farm-raised catfish will lay between 3,000 to 4,000 eggs per pound of body weight.Once laid and fertilized, the eggs are taken to special tanks to hatch. Channel catfish in the wild will spawn when water temperatures reach 75 F. Males and females will engage in a prolonged courtship, and females will produce upwards of 20,000 eggs. The eggs are incubated between six and 10 days, and then the males oust females from the nest to guard the newly hatched fish.
Size
- A major difference between farm-raised catfish and wild catfish is the size they reach. Farm-raised catfish are harvested at 18 months of age and will weigh between 1 and 1.5 lbs on average. Catfish in the wild will get much bigger. In the United States, blue catfish are the biggest species of catfish and can reach weights of between 100 lbs. They can also reach lengths of 5.5 feet. Channel catfish and flathead catfish do not get as big as blue catfish, but they reach sizes much larger than farm-raised species.

Nature