8 replies to this topic

[Betta132]

I'm guessing an exact ID isn't possible with these photos (cell phone pic, sorry), but does anyone know what kind of catfish this is? Bullhead? It was living in a stream-fed ditch pond, and it seems to have come down from upstream. He swam in front of me in about an inch of water, and I scooped him up. He was very soft and tickly. 

I admit, I squealed a bit. Friggin' cute little baby! 

[smilingfrog]

Its adipose fin doesn't look to be attached to the tail so I believe you are right with thinking bullhead. I don't know what all species you have down there, but it looks very much like the baby black bullheads I encounter around here.

[Betta132]

Ok, thanks! I think I've found black bullheads, so that would make sense. I'm just not sure where the rest of the spawn is, this little guy was alone.

Edited by Betta132, 26 June 2015 - 01:17 PM.

[Matt DeLaVega]

No white barbels? Cannot tell from the photos. That will narrow it down a bit.

[Sean Phillips]

Ameiurus for sure. What color were the mandibular (chin) barbels? If white barbels, it's a Yellow Bullhead. If brown or black mandibular barbels, could be either a Brown or Black Bullhead based on your area.

[Betta132]

Not sure about the chin barbels, I didn't think to check. I'd probably have seen white on such a dark fish. This was in the outskirts of Austin, does that help at all with species? I don't need an absolute ID, I'm fine with just "Bullhead", but I'm sort of curious. 

[FirstChAoS]

Of course it looked adorable. It's a baby catfish and a baby cat is a kitten, thus you found a kitten fish, 

[Matt DeLaVega]

Try for a better photo, or look at the barbels yourself. It is a bullhead. It will get fairly large. What species? Not sure. It will get easier to ID as it grows. However if you put it in a photo tank, people here may be able to get it down to species now. Might help you plan, as some bullheads get larger than others.

[Betta132]

I doubt I could find it again if I tried. I didn't keep him, since I have nowhere to put a bullhead of any form, I just wanted him IDed. I'm investigating local fish populations for myself, since most of the reports I've seen are at least several years old and may not be completely accurate.