Sea, Gaff-Topsail Catfishes 299 



Sea Catfish 

 Galeichthys felis (Linnaeus) 



Color: Steel blue above; sides and belly silvery. 

 Distribution: Found from Cape Cod to Texas but not 

 common north of Virginia. 

 Size: Reaches a length of about 2 feet. 

 General Information: Like the gaff-topsail catfish below, 

 the male of this species carries the fertilized eggs in its 

 mouth until they hatch. The Sea Catfish is very common 

 in the bays and harbors of our southern states. Like most 

 other catfish it very actively seeks food at night. 

 Economic Importance: A few are marketed. It is com- 

 monly caught by anglers in our southern states. 



Gaff-Topsail Catfish 

 Bagre marinus (Mitchill) 



Color: Top of head and back steel blue; sides silvery; belly 



white. 



Distribution: Coastal waters from Cape Cod to Panama. 



Not common north of Delaware. 



Size: Maximum length about 2 feet. 



General Information: In North Carolina waters breeding 



occurs in late May and June. The eggs are large and 



