The Iowa Senate voted, 48-0, to make the channel catfish the official state fish. If the Iowa House decides to follow suit, this whiskered creature of the water would be added to the state's list of official symbols.
"The channel catfish was here when the pioneers arrived to settle the state and is still found in all 99 counties," said Sen. Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City, lead sponsor of the bill.
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A West Burlington man spent decades trying to persuade the Legislature to recognize the catfish. George Marzeck, a retired outdoors writer and artist, died last September at age 82.
"This one's for George," Ragan said.
