Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)

General data

Main name: Yellow bullhead
Climates: Subtropical, Temperate
Habitat: Freshwater
Native: North America
Introduced: Europe
Distribution: Mississippi River, Missouri River, St. Lawrence River, Rio Grande, St. Johns River, Trinity (Texas), View all... Savannah river

Classification

Genus: Ameiurus - Bullheads
Family: Ictaluridae - North American freshwater catfishes
Order: Siluriformes - Catfishes
Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

Description The yellow bullhead is a medium-sized member of the catfish family. It is typically yellow-olive to slate black on the back and may appear mottled depending on its habitat. The sides are lighter and more yellowish, while the underside of the head and body are bright yellow, yellow white, or bright white. The rear edge of its caudal fin is rounded. The anal fin is much longer than those of other bullheads, having anywhere between 24 and 27 rays. The yellow bullhead, though less common, can be easily distinguished from the brown bullhead and black bullhead by the group of white barbels or whiskers under its chin. Yellow bullheads are medium-sized bullheads that rarely grow larger than 2 lb (0.91 kg), but can reach up to 6.375 lb (2.892 kg). Yellow bullheads range in size from 6 to 14 inches, and can live up to 12 years. Diet The yellow bullhead is a voracious scavenger that will almost eat anything. It locates prey by brushing the stream bottom with its barbels. Taste buds on the barbels tell the yellow bullhead whether or not contact is made with edible prey. They typically feed at night on a variety of plant and animal material, both live and dead, most commonly consisting of worms, insects, snails, minnows, clams, crayfish, other small aquatic organisms, plant matter, and decaying animal matter. Compared to black and brown bullheads, yellow bullheads consume more aquatic vegetation. Habitat Yellow bullhead are bottom dwellers, living in areas with muck, rock, sand, or clay substrates. Its habitat includes river pools, backwaters, and sluggish current over soft or mildly rocky substrate in creeks, small to larger rivers, and shallow portions of lakes and ponds. Their habitat can vary from a slow current with poorly oxygenated, highly silted, and highly polluted[citation needed] water to a more swift current with clean and clear water that has aquatic vegetation. Fishermen often find them in sluggish creeks and rivers with a gravel bottom. Distribution Yellow bullhead have a wide range across the central and eastern US from the Rio Grande River to North Dakota and south-eastern Canada, and east through the Great Lakes region to the East Coast. They have also been introduced to the West and can be caught as far up as northern Washington state.

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
- Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
- Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
  - Perciformes - Perches->
  - Cypriniformes - Carps->
  - Esociformes - Pikes->
  - Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
  - Siluriformes - Catfishes->
    
    Siluridae - Eurasian catfishes->
    
    Ictaluridae - North American freshwater catfishes->
    
    Ameiurus - Bullheads->
    
    Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas)
    
    Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
    
    White bullhead (Ameiurus catus)
    
    Snail bullhead (Ameiurus brunneus)
    
    Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)
    
    Flat bullhead (Ameiurus platycephalus)
    
    Spotted bullhead (Ameiurus serracanthus)
    
    Ictalurus - North American catfishes->
    
    Pylodictis - Flathead catfishes->
    
    Noturus - Madtoms->
    
    Prietella - Prietella->
    
    Satan - Satan->
    
    Trogloglanis - Trogloglanis->
    
    Pimelodidae - Long-whiskered catfishes->
    
    Pangasiidae - Shark catfishes->
    
    Astroblepidae - Naked sucker-mouth catfishes->
    
    Clariidae - Airbreathing catfishes->
    
    Ariidae - Sea catfishes->
    
    Plotosidae - Eeltail catfishes->
    
    Doradidae - Thorny catfishes->
    
    Auchenipteridae - Driftwood catfishes->
    
    Bagridae - Naked catfishes->
    
    Callichthyidae - Armored catfishes->
    
    Sisoridae - Asian adhesive catfishes->
    
    Malapteruridae - Electric catfishes->
    
    Schilbeidae - Schilbid catfishes->
    
    Loricariidae - Armoured suckermouth catfishes->
    
    Heptapteridae - Three-barbeled catfishes->
    
    Ailiidae - Asian schilbeids->
    
    Akysidae - Stream catfishes->
    
    Amblycipitidae - Torrent catfishes->
    
    Amphiliidae - Loach catfishes->
    
    Anchariidae - Vaonas->
    
    Aspredinidae - Banjo catfishes->
    
    Austroglanididae - Austroglanids->
    
    Cetopsidae - Whale catfishes->
    
    Chacidae - Squarehead or angler catfish->
    
    Claroteidae - Claroteid catfishes->
    
    Cranoglanididae - Armorhead catfishes->
    
    Diplomystidae - Velvet catfishes->
    
    Erethistidae - South Asian river catfishes->
    
    Heteropneustidae - Airsac catfishes->
    
    Horabagridae - Imperial catfishes->
    
    Kryptoglanidae - Indian cave catfishes->
    
    Lacantuniidae - Chiapas catfishes->
    
    Mochokidae - Squeakers or upside-down catfishes->
    
    Nematogenyidae - Mountain catfishes->
    
    Olyridae - Longtail catfishes->
    
    Parakysidae - Parakysid catfishes->
    
    Phreatobiidae - Cistern catfishes->
    
    Pseudopimelodidae - Bumblebee catfishes, dwarf marbled catfishes->
    
    Scoloplacidae - Spiny dwarf catfishes->
    
    Trichomycteridae - Pencil or parasitic catfishes->
  - Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
  - Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
  - Gadiformes - Cods->
  - Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
  - Clupeiformes - Herrings->
  - Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
  - Gobiiformes - Gobies->
  - Mugiliformes - Mullets->
  - Carangiformes - Jacks->
  - Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
  - Labriformes - Wrasses->
  - Scombriformes - Mackerels->
  - Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
  - Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
  - Aulopiformes - Grinners->
  - Blenniiformes - Blennies->
  - Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
  - Osmeriformes - Smelts->
  - Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
  - Cichliformes - Cichlids->
  - Characiformes - Characins->
  - Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
  - Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
  - Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
  - Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
  - Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
  - Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
  - Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
  - Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
  - Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
  - Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
  - Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
  - Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
  - Zeiformes - Dories->
  - Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
  - Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
  - Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
  - Lampriformes - Lamprids->
  - Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
  - Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
  - Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
  - Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
  - Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
  - Atheriniformes - Silversides->
  - Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
  - Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
  - Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
  - Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
  - Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
  - Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
  - Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
  - Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
  - Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
  - Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
  - Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
  - Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
  - Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
  - Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
  - Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
  - Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
  - Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
- Cladistii - Bichirs->
- Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
- Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
- Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->