Bullhead Catfish

Belonging to the family of Ictaluridae and catfish genus Ameiurus, bullhead catfish are one of the most types of fish found in the United States of America. There are three types of these fish, namely the Ameiurus natalis commonly called yellow bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus known as brown bullhead and Ameiurus melas called black bullhead.

Bullhead Catfish Identification
Compared to other fish, bullhead catfish can tolerate fish toxins and pollutants better. All three types of bullhead catfish breed during the later half of the spring season and early summer. They rest in mud bottoms and sand where they lay their eggs, are omnivorous, and they feed on vegetation and invertebrates besides some small fries.

One of the most popular species of bullhead catfish due to its taste and size, the yellow bullhead is characterized by its round tail, long anal fin and white lower barbels. Bullhead catfish species is different from other varieties of catfish species like blue catfish and channel catfish. The tail fins are squared in bullhead catfish, and on the other hand, they are forked in channel catfish or blue catfish. There are around 24 to 27 anal fin rays which includes the rudimentary and at times weight of yellow bullhead catfish is more than two pounds. Yellow bullhead catfish are mostly found in deep and weedy ponds and lakes harboring bass, panfish. Moreover they may also be found in streams.

The brown bullhead catfish is somewhat similar to its yellow counterpart, the only difference being a square tail and dark lower barbels in the brown species. The anal fin ray numbers around 21 to 24. The mottled pattern of green and brown in a brown bullhead is more when compared to the black bullhead, in which the colors are more even.

In a black bullhead, there are dark barbels similar to the brown bullhead, but they are more uniformly colored rather than mottled. The anal fin rays numbers around 15 to 21. Moreover, at the base of the tail there is a light bar that passes across in a black bullhead. The black bullhead can tolerate an environment which is poor in oxygen and are mostly found in warm and eutrophic water bodies. Most black bullheads are about 6-10 inches long, however, in some rare cases they reach 15 inches long. They are found in the Rock River in southwestern Minnesota and are commonly found in muddy streams and shallow lakes.

Bullhead Catfish Aquarium
If you are thinking of introducing bullhead catfish in an aquarium in your home, there are a few things you should know about its care regimen. Try using levels of filtering and aeration as it would help you in handling the huge quantity of bio load that these fish produce. Introduce a good number of Elodea plants so that it helps in filtration. Make sure that you use some locally gathered snails and some insects like nymphs. Try creating a natural habitat for your pets so that they feel at home. You can use shale rocks or limestone for this purpose. To feed your pet, you can buy live minnows and if they are unavailable you can use feeder goldfish.

Bullhead Catfish Fishing
The most favored time for catching bullhead catfish is during the evening and night. During summer, these fish remain inactive in deep waters as during the daytime the temperature of water increases and active when the water cools. In the evening, the catfish comes out in search of food, thereby making this an excellent time for catching bullheads.

Bullhead catfish has a very week eyesight but, its sense of smell is excellent. So, when you go out fishing, try to take advantage of this. Choose baits which would lure the bullheads. Stink bait is an excellent option which you can use as catfish are attracted to it. Another excellent option is to offer crayfish or worms. The most important thing to remember while using a bait is to use one which has a strong odor as it would interest this fish. Visual presentation would not work as, it is the sense of smell which the bullhead relies on. Thus, bullhead catfish is easy to identify and keep as pets.