Brown Bullhead
Ameiurus
nebulosusSpeckled Catfish
Description
To 19" (48 cm); 5 1/2 lbs (2.5 kg).
Robust, heavy, rounded anteriorly; back olive to black; sides
lighter, strongly mottled with brownish blotches, but juveniles may
be black; belly whitish; fins dusky to black. Mouth terminal, upper
jaw slightly longer than lower; 4 pairs of barbels, barbels on upper
jaw long, reaching past base of pectoral fin; chin barbels dusky or
black. Pectoral fin spine with strong serrations on rear edge;
adipose fin present; anal fin has 21-24 rays, length of its base
shorter than head length.
Related Species
Snail Bullhead (
I.
brunneus) has uniform body color, not mottled, 17-20 anal fin
rays; inhabits moderate to swift streams over sand or rocks from S.
Virginia south to E. Alabama and N. Florida. Flat Bullhead (
I.
platycephalus) has strongly depressed head; median fins with
narrow, black edge; inhabits slow streams over sand or mud on
Atlantic Coast from S. Virginia to central Georgia.
Habitat
Clear water in deep pools with submerged
vegetation.
Range
Nova Scotia west to SE. Saskatchewan;
central E. United States; widely introduced outside native
range.
Discussion
The Brown Bullhead appears to be
intolerant of silty, polluted waters. It has been raised
commercially and widely stocked in ponds and
lakes.
