It is the most widely distributed fish in Siluridae. It is distributed in eastern Russia, Korea, Japan and the whole East Asia. In China, it is widely distributed in the eastern water system and Taiwan Province Province.

Catfish mainly live in the middle and lower layers of rivers, lakes, reservoirs and ponds, and are distributed in the waters south of the Yangtze River. It is also an important breeding object in Guangdong, Fujian and other provinces. Catfish are mostly active in coastal areas, hiding in grass, rocks or deep water during the day and generally foraging frequently at night. After autumn, living in deep-water activated sludge overwinters, and the degree of food intake is also weakened.

Reproductive habits:

The gonadal development of Silurus meridionalis belongs to asynchronous multiple oviposition type, with strong reproductive ability, and its sexual maturity age is 10- 12 months. Generally, it can reproduce 3-4 times a year. The breeding season of Silurus meridionalis is generally from April to September, and the spawning period of a few parent fish can be extended to the end of 10, and the peak of breeding is from May to July. After August, due to ovarian degeneration or high temperature, reproductive capacity decreased.

During the period of11-65438+February, the gonads were in the stage of degeneration. The suitable water temperature for culture is 22-32℃, and the best is 27-32℃. When the temperature is lower than 20℃ or higher than 32℃, the oviposition activity is inhibited, and basically no oviposition occurs at 65438 08℃.

When the water temperature rises above 20℃, mature male and female fish chase estrus, male fish excrete sperm, and female fish produce bright green sticky eggs on the attachment, and their spawning habits are similar to those of carp and crucian carp. The amount of eggs laid is related to individual size. The number of eggs laid by catfish weighing 0.25-0.5 kg is 1.5-65000, and the number of pregnant females weighing 0.75- 1.25 kg is1.3-17800.