Do we need a new abbreviation for Alligator-Channel Cat? Or maybe we just call them Hybrid Channel Cat (HCC)?

When I first read I thought they were truly trying to merge the two species kind of like crossing a Great Dane with a Shitz-yoo and getting some odd fish with a alligator tail.. But after reading it looks like they are just trying to plant less antibiotic resistance or better 'vigor' against infection if that is possible. Actually I don't think the article mentioned what strain catfish they hoped to add the gene to.


The article mentions catfish farming as a big way to feed humans. Again this might be unique to where we live in the upper Midwest but 'no one' regularly eats catfish around here. I guess if they find a way to put catfish into animal food we might eat it indirectly, or maybe they can add it to Taco Bell fish tacos or McDonald's fish sandwiches and then we would be eating it and not realizing it?

Genetic modified catfish

I can see how this could be confusing since the fish are not a hybrid (which is almost certainly impossible due to chromosome incompatibility), but rather precision insertion of a single gene. This popular press article is clearly written by someone who really does not understand the science. Here is what appears to be the original paper. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.05.522889v1.full.pdf

"in the upper Midwest but 'no one' regularly eats catfish around here."

Man, here in the South it is hard to find a restaurant that doesn't have fried catfish on the menu.

I remember when crawfish were considered exotic & repulsive outside of Louisiana. Things change.

Sadly, many folks believe that anything that's been genetically modified is inherently bad: Frankenfood. Of course, almost everything we eat, from wheat to corn to cabbage, is genetically modified from the original organism, either by breeding or otherwise.

I do have a question: Would it be possible to use similar tech to develop LMB with decreased propensity to breed? This would really help with the chore of harvesting, would mean more prey fish per predator, and perhaps if bass spent less time & energy spawning they would grow faster. Seems like there might be a market for this!

anthropic - It would likely be easy to do this, but getting through the regulatory process would be prohibitively expensive. It took the GM salmon 12 years for the FDA to grant approval. I doubt the GM catfish will be worth the time and expense no matter how safe it is. Fear and ignorance have real-world implications, as do those who prey on this.

North of the Mason-Dixon line, you won't see catfish on many menus.

Bob Evans used to have it on their menus nationwide, but I'm not sure if they still do.

I have never seen catfish on any menu of any chain restaurant or independent eatery.

I have seen it served in a local large cafeteria which I assume means they source it from a catfish 'farm' rather than wild caught. It tasted quite muddy and unpleasant. Couldn't hide the taste even with heavy tartar sauce. Maybe this is why they pair hot sauce with catfish in the south?

most restaurant chains here go for white flaky flesh without a fish flavor. Flounder, cod, tilapia, occasionally a special of 'grouper' whatever that is (I was told once that the special of the day was 'grouper' I asked what is the special tomorrow, 'grouper...every day the special is grouper' This made me wonder if whatever was caught and brought in by the local fisherman was sold in the restaurant under the name 'grouper'.

In higher end restaurants you can get local sourced walleye and salmon. Chain fish restaurants will sometimes offer salt water fish or swordfish steaks. Around the great lakes it is pretty easy to source Yellow Perch year around and we used to have specials on whole deep fried smelt. Now there are warnings to not eat fish again due to PFAS contamination of most waterways around us.

Seems like one of the best mild-flaky white fish flesh they should serve is NP as there is no shortage of those fish around.

The plan is (and it already happened) (was) to rename invasive asian carp and start marketing them for a preferred fish food for people. Probably someone will rebrand the GM catfish to make us feel like we are truly getting something new, rare and superior which always makes it fly off the shelves..

The new name for asian carp is very odd. 'Copi' It makes me think it is the plural of something. Just like you can have one cactus or one octopus and if you have more than one it is cacti and octopi. So it seems the Asian Carp should be called a Copus and if you have a whole boat full of them then they are Copi.

Catfish is pretty common on the menu here in central Indiana.

far m raised catfish are NOT muddy tasting. They actually have little taste at all. True story... when I had a retail fish dealers license here in Texas about 35 years ago I bought catfish from Local commercial fishermen to resale live or dressed. When catching got bad I found a place that had live catfish delivered from Mississippi. I started selling it. I actually had a customer bring me a plate of their fried catfish I sold them live and complained about the taste. I asked them what was wrong with it and they insisted I taste it for myself. So I did. I said, so what's wrong?? They said "It does NOT even have a fishy smell or taste and they DID NOT like it!! Sometimes you just can't win!! But I will say, I quit buying catfish from Toledo Bend reservoir because it was horribly muddy tasting compared to catfish from lake Sam Rayburn and it is still that way today!!

The Bob Evans catfish wasn't to bad. A hint of fishiness, but not too much.

I think I'm on a mission to find me someone who sells catfish in my home town of Grand Rapids.

I checked a few Bob Evans. One site says they have potato crusted flounder, shrimp and cod. Another menu says Cod, shrimp, and lemon-pepper Sole filets.
Checked Red Lobster, notta
Google searched local restaurants and catfish. Five hits came up meeting criteria but pulled up the menu and no catfish. Wow! I'll keep on the alert.

I did find several 'fish markets' selling a variety of fish and either u-cook at home or they fry up for you.. That is promising!

The PFAS warnings were noted for smelt in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan above a certain portion size and some lakes near known PFAS contaminated ground water. In that case catfish raised in a farm with hopefully clean water would sound quite safe

It's been years since I've had catfish at Bob Evans, so perhaps it's gone.

Try googling "grand rapids" "catfish" "restaurants".

I think if you don't want to eat something that tastes like fish, don't order fish.

I don't know, Theos.

Sometimes Salmon doesn't taste fishy, and sometimes it does.

My veddy British wife has come to love fried Catfish. Even I, who am not really a big fish eater, have to admit it's good. But this is farm raised, fresh, and fried. Don't care for it much baked.