well, a "mature" channel cat in the wild is typically in the 24" - 36" range and weighing 20ish pounds. If you look close, the one pictured above does indeed have a white underbelly.
Here's another one - very closely related to the blue channel cat(Ictalurus punctatus), the only physical distinction between the two are the amount of ribs in the anal fin. This one is a blue catfish(I. furcatus) You won't be able to tell if it was a blue, or a blue channel without having him in front of you.
Just a question, if you can remember - how big was it when you got it, and what colour was it then? Channel cats and blue cats at less than 6-8 inches are shiny silver-blue. Bullheads of all types are pitch black as fry.
Here's another one - very closely related to the blue channel cat(Ictalurus punctatus), the only physical distinction between the two are the amount of ribs in the anal fin. This one is a blue catfish(I. furcatus) You won't be able to tell if it was a blue, or a blue channel without having him in front of you.
Just a question, if you can remember - how big was it when you got it, and what colour was it then? Channel cats and blue cats at less than 6-8 inches are shiny silver-blue. Bullheads of all types are pitch black as fry.
