However, hybrid catfish fry production is relatively difficult compared to intraspecific catfish fry production due to natural reproductive barriers. To counter this reproduction problem, ovulation is induced in female channel catfish using hormones, eggs are hand-stripped and then the eggs are artificially fertilized with blue catfish sperm (Dunham, et al.,2000). The egg masses can be hatched using traditional procedures used to hatch channel catfish eggs after fertilization.