Dress-out and fillet yields of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, and their F1, F2 and backcross hybrids

The channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, female x blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, male F-1 hybrid showed increased processing yields over the most commonly cultured catfish, channel catfish, in the US. The F, hybrid had higher dress-out and fillet percentage (61.1% and 45.7%, respectively) than channel catfish (57.5%, 42.5%), blue catfish (58.9%, 44.4%), F-2 hybrid catfish (57.3%, 42.5%), F-1 x channel catfish (57.3%, 42.7%), F-1 x blue catfish (58.3%, 42.4%), blue catfish x F-1 (58.2%, 43.2%), and channel catfish x F-1 (56.8%, 42.1%). Individual heterosis had a strong positive effect on dress-out and fillet percentage. Channel catfish additive genetic effects had a strong negative effect on dress-out and fillet percentage. Females had greater dress-out (58.4% to 57.9%) and fillet percentage (43.6% to 43.0%) than males (P<0.05). Utilization of channel-blue F-1 hybrids will increase processing yields and may allow farmers to demand a higher price for their product. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.