Preliminary development of a body condition assessment tool for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)

Citation

Hutchison E, Duvall R, Stewart P, and Williams S. 2025. Preliminary development of a body condition assessment tool for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). In Treiber K, Brooks M, D’amato-Anderson J, Nylander J, Eds. Proceedings of the Sixteenth Conference on Zoo and Wildlife Nutrition, AZA Nutrition Advisory Group, Oklahoma City, OK.

Abstract

Visual assessment of an animal’s body condition is a noninvasive technique to evaluate the nutritional status and welfare of animals under human care. Utilizing standardized criteria allows for the accurate assessment of animals without specialized training, allowing keepers to easily identify individuals that may be of concern. Clark et al. (2018) showed that a body condition scoring (BCS) tool can be developed to assess zebra fish (Danio rerio) in a laboratory setting.  Additionally, Kammerman et al. (2017) published a body scoring tool for aquarium-housed spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari). We aimed to develop a visual tool for channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) for use by zoo and aquarium professionals.

Photos of catfish across levels of fitness were evaluated, and five key landmarks of anatomy were established for evaluation. These key points were described across the scoring range of BCS 1-5 from emaciated to obese. After comparative descriptions were written, photos and descriptions were used to create standardized illustrations. The illustrations and descriptions make up the preliminary body condition scoring tool presented here. More work is needed to evaluate the efficacy through validation of visual assessment with physical veterinary examination.

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