Seinability of Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, and Their F1, F2, F3, and Backcross Hybrids in Earthen Ponds

Blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus were significantly easier to harvest by seining than channel catfish I. punctatus female channel catfish × male blue catfish F1 and F2 hybrids, channel catfish backcrosses, and blue catfish backcrosses (P < 0.05). The F1 hybrid was significantly easier to catch than channel catfish (P < 0.05). The F3 hybrid was significantly easier to catch than the F2 hybrid, channel catfish, and channel catfish backcrosses (P < 0.05). Individual epistatic recombination loss had a positive effect on percent fish caught in the first seine haul. Channel catfish additive genetic effects had a negative effect on ease of capture by seining. The more channel catfish genes present, the harder the fish was to catch.