Аңдатпа
Abstract An exotic species, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, has been recorded in the ichthyofauna of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the first time. The specimens were caught in the Ili River upstream of the Kapchagai Reservoir in October 2020. Based on repeated findings of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and its hatchlings in the Borokhudzir River (a tributary of the Ili River), it has been concluded that a self-reproducing population of this species has appeared here. The possibility of naturalization of channel catfish in the Balkhash basin, which poses a threat to the remains of the native Ili ichthyofauna, is discussed.