The resting oxygen consumption (VO2rest), peak postprandial VO2 and peak post-exercise oxygen consumption (VO2peak) of 137 juvenile southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis Chen), weighing 18.5 ± 0.8 g, were measured at 25℃ to determine whether postprandial and post-exercise VO2peak are positively related to VO2rest in sedentary southern. In addition, postprandial metabolic response (i.e., the specific dynamic action [SDA]) after a satiating meal and the growth performance as a consequence of a 3-week feeding-growth trail were measured in 40 southern catfish, weighing 14.3 ± 0.2 g, at 25℃ to determine whether postprandial VO2peak is positively related to growth rate. It was found that postprandial VO2peak was positively related with VO2rest while post-exercise VO2peak was not. Both postprandial VO2peak and post-exercise VO2peak were positively correlated with factorial and absolute scope. There was no significant correlation between the growth rate and postprandial VO2peak in southern catfish.