Early Growth and Morphology Among Hybrids of Ictalurid Catfishes

Abstract

Half-sib ictalurid families were produced when eggs from three channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, females were fertilized with a mixture of sperm from channel catfish, blue catfish, I. furcatus, black bullhead, Ameiurus melas, and flathead catfish, Plyodictis olivaris. Sperm from all four species successfully fertilized channel catfish eggs, although individual families contained different percentages of the various crosses. The enzyme glucose phosphate isomerase distinguished the different hybrids and parental groups, and confirmed sorting of offspring based on morphology. At 1 month of age, channel catfish ♀ X flathead catfish ♂ hybrids (0.36 ± 0.07 g, mean ± SD) were heavier (P ≤ 0.05) than channel catfish ♀ X black bullhead ♂ (0.12 ± 0.03 g), channel catfish ♀ X blue catfish ♂ hybrids (0.11 ± 0.03 g ), and channel catfish (0.10 ± 0.4 g). By 8 months of age, channel catfish ♀ X black bullhead ♂ hybrids (36.4 ± 21.9 g) and channel catfish ♀ X blue catfish ♂ hybrids (34.5 ± 24.2 g) were simila...