Response of Male Blue Catfish, Ictalurus furcatus , and Male Channel Catfish, Ictalurus punctatus , to Female Channel Catfish Given Pheromonal Steroids or Prostaglandin

The effects of the putative hormonal pheromones 17α, 20β‐dihydroxy‐4‐pregnene‐3‐one (17,20β‐P), 17,20β‐P‐20‐glucosiduronate, and prostaglandin F‐2α (PGF‐2α) injected into female channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus , were investigated to determine whether male channel catfish and blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus , could be attracted to the injected females. Females were distributed into traps placed in ponds containing either male channel catfish or blue catfish. Traps were checked six times in a 96‐h period. Males were 17.9 times more likely to be captured with a PGF‐2α‐injected female than with an ethanol‐only injected female, or a 17,20β‐P‐injected female, and 3.5 times more likely to be captured with a PGF‐2α‐injected female than with a 17,20β‐P‐glucosiduronate‐injected female. Males were 6.0 times more likely to be caught between 48 and 96 h post‐injection than between 12 and 24 h post‐injection. These results suggest that the overall best pheromone to attract blue catfish and channel catfish males is PGF‐2α at 48–96 h post‐injection.