Growth Of Blue Catfish Ictalurus Furcatus (Lesueur) In The Tombigbee River Of Alabama

Length-weight data from 196 fish and spine samples from 125 fish taken August 5, 1965 were used to determine growth and age composition of blue catfish in the upper Tombigbee River in Western Alabama. Mortality rates were calculated in an effort to determine the abundance of harvestable age classes of fish. The 1964 year class was represented by one specimen and no fish of the 1965 year class were taken in the sample area. The year classes prior to 1964 were well represented in the sample. The length-weight relationship indicates that weight increments increase rapidly after fish reach 25 inches total length.