Wild Chesapeake Blue Catfish

The wild blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) is a large, robust species native to the Mississippi River basin. In the 1970’s, blue catfish were introduced into the Chesapeake Bay watershed for recreational purposes. They have since become highly invasive and a destructive force with far reaching effects throughout the Bay. It is a fish that is highly adaptable and can thrive in various fresh and brackish water environments, including rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. Blue catfish are opportunistic feeders, consuming a wide range of prey such as fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.

The wild blue catfish produced by Tilghman Island Seafood are thick and meaty with a bright clean taste.

You are what you eat.

Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish is mild and flaky, with a clean fresh taste. In fact, diners and chefs find it tastier than any other catfish.

Why are they so delicious?

Wild Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish are not bottom feeders and thus don’t acquire a muddy taste.  They actively feed on aquatic prey, including other fish (Menhaden, American Shad, White Perch, and River Herring) and shellfish (crabs, clams, and mussels). This is good for developing the flavor of the wild blue catfish but bad for the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay.

Nutritional Benefits

Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish fillets contain 19g of high-quality protein per serving (4 oz) with only 1.5g of fat. The fillets have more healthy fats (unsaturated 75%) than unhealthy ones (saturated 25%). 

Most importantly, Blue Catfish fillets provide an abundance of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids (270 mg per serving).

Omega-3 vs. Omega-6

Omega-3 fatty acids come from fish, fish oil or algal oil while Omega-6 fatty acids come from vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and soy.