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Home > Volume 23, Number 2 > Bay Blues: How Blue Catfish Are Changing the Bay

Bay Blues: How Blue Catfish Are Changing the Bay

December 2024 • Volume 23, Number 2
The belly of a blue catfish is held up, with a shoreline and water behind the boat.

Belly of the Beast

By Madeleine Jepsen

Blue catfish have spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay’s major tributaries—and bring their appetites with them. What do these invasive fish eat, and how are they affecting the Bay’s iconic species? Researchers use diet studies to answer these questions and learn how blue catfish diets change as they grow.
Three people unloading blue catfish from truck

Fish Out of Water

A bounty of invasive blue catfish has led to new opportunities for commercial watermen, but can processors keep pace? Learn more about the hurdles and opportunities shaping the future of Maryland’s blue catfish industry. 
More than a dozen plates of blue catfish fillets with salad rest on a metal table.

Mouths to Feed

Dining halls, school cafeterias, and food pantries are using blue catfish as a nutritious protein source for their clients. Learn more about these large-scale efforts that bring a tasty solution to the table.
Fishing boat surrounded by electrofished catfish

Taking Stock

Researchers are on a mission to model the Bay’s blue catfish populations—but first they have to gather crucial data about these invasive fish.
Person holding a Northern snakehead

An Appetite for Invasives

From blackened Chesapeake Channa to curried wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish, "invasivore" campaigns recruit the public to help remove invasive species from the water—one bite at a time.
a drawn image of a catfish

View Our Science Comic Strip: The Catfish Conundrum

Dive Deeper

blue catfish taco in box

Recipe: Chesapeake Blue Catfish Tacos

Want to cook wild-caught Chesapeake blue catfish at home? Follow along as chef Keyia Yalcin of Baltimore’s Fishnet restaurant and food truck teaches you how to make tasty blue catfish tacos.
blue catfish swimming in water

Dive Deeper: How Did Blue Catfish Arrive in Maryland Waters?

Salinity may affect blue catfish distribution in the Bay.
A blue catfish flops on the carpeted floor of a pontoon boat next to some fishing reels.

Dive Deeper: How Anglers Catch Blue Catfish Around the Bay

Commercial fishers and hobbyists use a variety of gear to land blue catfish.
A hand with tongs reaches for blue catfish in a buffet dish.

Dive Deeper: Eating Blue Catfish Safely

One size does not fit all when it comes to fish consumption advisories.
Cover photo by Madeleine Jepsen
Cover photo by Madeleine Jepsen

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