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Did you know that August is National Catfish Month?

The month of August was designated as National Catfish Month by Congress in the late 1980s to pay tribute to an outstanding American product that contributes to our nation’s economy, while providing consumers with a healthy, safe, and great-tasting food.

The majority of U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is produced on family-owned farms in the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana, where many of these growers are second- or third-generation farmers.

Catfish farmers feed their fish grain-based pellets made primarily of soybeans and corn, which are grown by American farmers. When the catfish reach market size, they are harvested and delivered to processing plants, many of which are located in rural areas where they are major sources of employment and the primary driver for the area’s economy.

CATFISH FUN FACTS

• Most Catfish are found in fresh water.
• Catfish don’t have scales.
• The “whiskers” that make catfish look like cats are really barbels, the barbels are covered with tastebuds that allow the fish to find food in the murkiest of water.
• Fresh water catfish are usually egg layers and will watch over their eggs until they hatch.
• A female blue catfish can produce as many as 100,000 eggs at a time.
• Most catfish have small eyes and rely on taste, smell, and hearing.
• Catfish is an excellent source of protein, is low in saturated (bad) fat and is a moderate source of polyunsaturated (good) fat and omega-3 fatty acids.
• U.S. Farm-Raised Catfish is the No. 1 farm-raised finfish in America.
• More catfish is produced in the United States on a yearly basis than all other farmed fish combined.
• In the year 2000, Americans ate more than a pound of catfish per person. Texans eat more catfish than any other state in America.
• The catfish is the official fish of the state of Missouri.
• Catfish is the fourth most popular fish in the United States.
• 94% of all US Farm-Raised Catfish is raised in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Belzoni, Mississippi claims to be the catfish capital of the world.
• About ½ of the catfish grown in California are stocked into hundreds of recreational lakes and the rest are delivered live to grocery stores, fish markets and restaurants.