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Ictalurus punctatus

Basic information
Scientific name Ictalurus punctatus

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チャネルキャットフィッシュ
Common names Channel catfish
Higher taxon Ictaluridae, Siluriformes, Actinopterygii
Natural range Southern Canada (Rocky Mountains and easternarea), C and W USA, and Mexico.
Habitat Lakes, ponds, rivers. Usually live in deep layer.
Invasion information
Range in Japan Tonegawa River System, Kasumigaura, Kitaura, and Biwako Lakes, Shimane Pref, Fukushima Pref, Gifu Pref, Aichi Pref and Gunma Pref. Range in Japan
Origin Imported from California, USA.
Date Imported in 1971 from California. Establishment in Kasumigaura Lake was 1973-1978
Route Deliberate: For aquaculture, and for pet animal.
Impact Actually: Predation on aquatic species such as fishes shrimps, in Kasumigaura Lake.
Native organism(s) affected: Small fishes, lake prawn, etc.
Regulation in Japan Import, transport and keeping are legally restricted in Japan.
Introduced range in other countries Philippine, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Russia, Italy, Bulgaria, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, etc.
Reference Notes
  • DECO (ed) (2006) Dictionary of Alien Species. Tokyo-Shoseki, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Ecol Soc Jpn (ed) (2002) Handbook of Alien Species in Japan. Chijinshokan, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Froese & Pauly (eds) (2009) FishBase (Accessed on 2010-12-09) http://www.fishbase.org/search.cfm
  • JWRC (ed) (2008) A Photographic Guide to the Invasive Alien Species in Japan. Heibonsha, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Matsuzawa & Senou (2008) Alien fishes of Japan. Bun-ichi Sogo Shuppan, Tokyo (in Jpn)
  • Yanai et al. (2008) The introduction process in alien fishes found from Lake Kasumigaura and Kitaura. Bull Ibaraki Pref Freshwater Fishery Exper St. 41, 47-54 (in Jpn)
  • Katano et al. (2010) Current status of the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in Japan. Japanese journal of conservation ecology. 15, 147-152 (in Jpn with English abst)
  • etc.