The Channel catfish (lat. Ictalurus punctatus) is the most numerous representative of the catfish of North America. Its natural habitat is the waters of North America to the east of the Rocky Mountains. The channel catfish has a slender, smooth, scaleless and elongated body resembling a torpedo. Young fish have a bluish or olive back, a silvery-white belly, and a large number of small black spots on the sides. In older individuals, the head and back are colored steel-gray. The average weight of a channel catfish is from 1 to 3 kg. The largest caught specimen weighed 26 kg.