Response of Male Blue Catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, and Male Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, to Female Channel Catfish Given Pheromonal Steroids or Prostaglandin

Abstract

The effects of the putative hormonal pheromones 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3-one (17,20β-P), 17,20β-P-20-glucosiduronate, and prostaglandin F-2α (PGF-2α) injected into female channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, were investigated to determine whether male channel catfish and blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, could be attracted to the injected females. Females were distributed into traps placed in ponds containing either male channel catfish or blue catfish. Traps were checked six times in a 96-h period. Males were 17.9 times more likely to be captured with a PGF-2α-injected female than with an ethanol-only injected female, or a 17,20β-P-injected female, and 3.5 times more likely to be captured with a PGF-2α-injected female than with a 17,20β-P-glucosiduronate-injected female. Males were 6.0 times more likely to be caught between 48 and 96 h post-injection than between 12 and 24 h post-injection. These results suggest that the overall best pheromone to attract blue catfish and channel catfish males is PGF-2α at 48–96 h post-injection.