How do your bullheads (or other catfish) hunt down small fish? My old ones would seem to lie in wait until a feeder fish hit their whiskers and then lunge out and snap it up, but the one my friend has actively chases down his feeders. So what does your bullheads do?

Edited by catfish_hunter, 17 April 2008 - 06:31 PM.

Mine doesn't often get feeders but when he does he justs waits for them to swim to him, unless there is a large mass of them then he just lunges randomly around the tank till he finds one. For the most part he just eats them at night when they're sleeping. I must say my bullhead seems doesn't use sight at all to find food. I could swear sometimes he is blind but I have no reason to think he is otherwise.

I have observed different techniques with different Bullheads. I am inclined to think that to some extent a Bullhead's hunting ability is learned. Some will lie in wait, Some cruise the tank and snatch, but more hunt and eat after the lights go out.
Sandtiger on a different note, I currently have a blind adult yellow bullhead. He is perfectly healthy except for his eyes.

I must say my bullhead seems doesn't use sight at all to find food. I could swear sometimes he is blind but I have no reason to think he is otherwise.

I agree. I've kept brown and yellow bullheads, and see no evidence that they use their sight for anything other than to distinguish light from dark. When the lights are on, they hide. When the lights go off, they swim around the tank looking for food with their barbels. When I throw food in the tank, there's a few second delay while the scent gets distributed, then they roam the tank more-or-less at random until their barbels contact food. They then make a very quick lunge at it.

I usually feed mealworms, and my bullheads have clearly learned to go to the surface and swim around with their barbels in contact with the surface until they hit a mealworm. It's fun to watch -- they look like sharks cruising the surface with part of their heads exposed.

I have seen no evidence that they use sight in any way while hunting food. They seem to be able to orient toward scent in a general way, but don't strike unless a barbel actually comes in contact with a food item.

Yup. Same here. While other fish co crazy at the sight of the food canister my bullhead won't do anything till he smells the food. Once he smells it it comes to the surface and swims in the same general area waiting for me to drop it into his mouth. Sometimes he even mouths at the gills of the other fish, no doubt due to the smell of the particles being discharged. When I clean the tank he bumps into the siphon and while other fish watch out for the algae brush he only reacts when it touches him.

Yep, my bullheads that were smaller would race after their prey, but would tucker out and stop very quickly. Most would wait till they either came to them or otherwise. They also seemed to, I swear, prefer goldfish over fatheads. I kid you not. They would ignore fatheads and then snatch up the goldfish. Then again, the pond they all came from (mine ) had quite a few goldfish in it. Accquired tastes? In bullheads, the "garbage eating trash fish" ?

I usually feed mealworms, and my bullheads have clearly learned to go to the surface and swim around with their barbels in contact with the surface until they hit a mealworm. It's fun to watch -- they look like sharks cruising the surface with part of their heads exposed.

When they do that, my friendly neighborhood osprey and herons hit them like nobodys' business. The ospreys hover and then drop like a stone and splash, a big goldfish or bullhead is snatched. Pretty cool to watch.

Edited by catfish_hunter, 17 April 2008 - 11:44 PM.