DEP ADVISES ANGLERS TO BE AWARE OF INVASIVE
SPECIES OF CATFISH
(04/99) TRENTON -- The New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today the first
catch of a Flathead catfish from New Jersey waters. The
non-native species is a voracious predator that has decimated
native populations of other catfish, certain species of
sunfish and rare species of sturgeon in the southeastern
United States.
"The threat of the Flathead is significant, given
its ravenous appetite and its potential for causing damage
to native New Jersey fish populations," said DEP Commissioner
Bradley M. Campbell. "Anglers should report any catches
or sightings of this fish to the Department."
The fish was caught in the Lambertville section of the
Delaware and Raritan Canal on July 23rd using a live nightcrawler
for bait. Flathead catfish are native to a broad area west
of the Appalachian Mountains encompassing the Mississippi,
Missouri and Ohio River basins. They are an extremely predaceous
catfish, reproducing and dispersing rapidly in river systems.
Flathead catfish have been documented to eat substantial
numbers of American shad during their spawning run. For
these reasons, the introduction of the Flathead catfish
has been called the "most biologically harmful of all
fish introductions in North America." In the southeastern
United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed
it as its highest priority among invasive animal species.
Flatheads can grow to a large size, and in warmer climates
90 to 100 pound fish have been documented. The body is yellowish
brown to dark brown with black or brown mottling on lighter
brown sides. It has a broadly flattened head and a tail
that is only slightly indented, appearing more rounded or
square. The key characteristic that helps anglers distinguish
the flathead catfish from other catfish is that the lower
jaw of the Flathead catfish projects past the upper jaw.
Anglers that catch what they think is a Flathead catfish
are asked not to release it back into the water, and to
notify the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's Bureau of
Freshwater Fisheries at:
1255 County Route 629
Lebanon, NJ 08833
908-236-2118
email: njfishandwildlife@dep.state.nj.us
A photograph of the fish is requested to confirm identification.
For more information and to view a photograph of a Flathead
catfish, visit the U.S. Geological Survey website at:
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/SpFactSheet.asp?speciesID=750
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