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The Ictaluridae, sometimes called ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are an important food source and sometimes fished for sport. The family includes about 51 species, some commonly known as Ameiurus, , channel catfish, and blue catfish.
Though the family includes three genera of blind, subterranean, and Cavefish catfishes, Trogloglanis, Satan, and Prietella, none of these three genera is closely related. Instead, Satan is closely related to Pylodictis, Prietella to Noturus, and Trogloglanis possibly to Ictalurus, although it may not be closely related to any of the other ictalurids. Ameiurus is sister to a clade formed by Satan, Pylodictis, Noturus, and Prietella.
The oldest fossil member of the family was previously thought to be Astephus from the Eocene Green River Formation of Utah and Wyoming. However, more recent studies consider Astephus to not be closely related to the Ictaluridae, and to instead belong to its own extinct family. Excluding Astephus, the oldest fossil member of the family is † Ictalurus rhaeas Cope, 1891 from the latest Eocene-aged Cypress Hills Formation of Saskatchewan.
One of the largest species is the blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, specimens of which have been found to weigh over . The maximum length is in the blue catfish and the flathead catfish. The bullheads, though, are small catfish which at maturity often weigh less than 0.5 kg (1 lb), while the madtoms (genus Noturus) are in general much smaller.
In some areas, the bullhead is seen as a desirable quarry, for its fighting qualities exceed its size. In other areas, it is seen as a nuisance fish due to its efficient bait-stealing qualities.
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