Fish Identification

Yellow Bullhead

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Fish image provided under agreement from Windsor Nature Discovery, LLC. Fish image created by Ron Pittard.

Common Name: Yellow Bullhead

Scientific Name: Ameiurus Natalis

Fish Family: Ictaluridae

Other Names: yellow cat, creek cat, white-whiskered bullhead, greaser

Yellow Bullhead Photos:

For more Yellow Bullhead photos visit Lake-Link's Photo Gallery.

Identification:

Dorsal region of head, back, and upper sides yel- low, olive, or black; sides lighter; ventral region of head and belly yellow to white. Snout and upper jaw barbels dark pigmented, chin barbels whitish, occa- sionally grayish in large individuals. All fins dusky, with pencil-line black margins; the interradial mem- branes dark but not black; anal fin usually with dark horizontal median band.

Distribution:

In Wisconsin, the yellow bullhead occurs in the Mississippi River, Lake Superior, and Lake Michigan drainage basins. The yellow bullhead is generally uncommon in the Mississippi River, and common in the Wisconsin River and in Lakes Winnebago and Poygan. It is the typical bullhead in clear, medium-sized streams and dear lakes.

Spawning:

The spawning of the yellow bullhead may begin in May, and in northern Wisconsin it extends into July. The nests are usually saucer-shaped excavations at depths of 0.5-1.2 m (1.5-4 ft), located beside or be- neath a bank, a log, or a tree root. Usually 300-700 eggs are deposited in a nest.

State Yellow Bullhead Records:

Illinois State Record:
5 lbs 4 ozs caught by Bill Snow caught on Fox River on May 8, 2005.
Indiana State Record:
4 lbs 14 ozs caught by Darren Robertson caught on Potato Creek State Park on January 1, 1994.
Iowa State Record:
5 lbs 8 ozs caught by Michael Hurd caught on Farm Pond.
Michigan State Record:
3 lbs 9 ozs caught by Gary Fox caught on Lake Sixteen on June 2, 2003.
Minnesota State Record:
3 lbs 10 ozs caught on Osakis Lake on August 5, 2002.
Wisconsin State Record:
3 lbs 5 ozs caught on Nelson Lake (Totagatic Flow), Sawyer County on June 6, 1983.

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