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

Frankie Delaney said he got sick after fishing for blue catfish at a favorite spot upriver from Georgetown in January, while sewage was still pouring into the river.

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