blue catfish

American  

Or blue cat

noun

1. a large freshwater catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, that is a popular food fish in the states of the Mississippi River valley.

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Etymology

Origin of blue catfish

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

blue catfish

Fishing for the invasive blue catfish in the Potomac downstream of D.C. has skyrocketed in recent years, and there is concern about how the fishery will be affected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

Each year, we catch fewer and fewer walleye, largemouth bass, striped bass and snakehead and more and more blue catfish.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 15, 2022

Eugene Cronley reeled in a 131-pound blue catfish from the Mississippi River, shattering the Mississippi state record by a whopping 36 pounds.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 22, 2022

The dominant farmed catfish in the United States, a hybrid of a female channel catfish and a male blue catfish, grows faster and is hardier.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 19, 2020

I watched them one day when they caught a blue catfish out of Birdsong Creek.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson