The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of vitamin E on growth performance and activities of digestive enzymes of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque,and probe into mechanism tentatively. 900 healthy channel catfish ［(5.00±0.50) g］ of average weight were randomly divided into four groups and each group included three replicates of 75 channel catfish.Group I was supplemented with 0 IU/kg vitamin E, Other three treatments were supplemented consecutively with 50 IU/kg vitamin E for group Ⅱ,100 IU/kg vitamin E for group Ⅲ,1 000 IU/kg vitamin E for group IV.The experiment lasted for 105 days. The result showed that Vitamin E could improve survival rate,special weight growth rate(SGR),protein efficiency ratio and feed quantity of channel catfish notably (P<0.01).When vitamin E was 100 IU/kg diet, the fish had the maximal survival rate, special weight growth rate, protein efficiency ratio and feed quantity ［97.78%±0.96％,2.99%±0.50％,163.71%±5.62％ and (7 478.00±62.01) g/tail)］, higher than the vitamin E adding amount for group 0 IU/kg extremely notably (P<0.01 ).What’s more, vitamin E had significant effect on protease, lipase in the gastrointestinal tract and hepatopancreas of channel catfish(P＜0.01 or P＜0.05 ). When vitamin E was 100 IU/kg diet,channel catfish had the maximal the activities of protease, lipase［(29.33%±1.66) U/(min·mg)，(196.52±17.28) U/(min·mg)］,higher than the vitamin E adding amount for group 0 IU/kg extremely notably (P<0.01)and higher than group 1 000 IU/kg notably(P<0.05 ). Therefore, these results indicate that vitamin E can improve the growth,activities of digestive enzymes of channel catfish at certain level.