Channel catfish (
Ictalurus punctatus) is
North America's most numerous
catfish species. It is the official fish of
Kansas,
Missouri,
Iowa,
Nebraska,and
Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the
United States, they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8 million anglers targeting them per year. The popularity of channel catfish for food has contributed to the rapid growth of
aquaculture of this species in the United States.