Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes)
Etymology: Ameiurus: Greek, a = without + Greek, meiouros, -os, -on = without tail (Ref. 45335); natalis: natalis, meaning with large buttocks (referring to the large nuchal humps of mature males) (Ref. 10294).
More on author: Lesueur.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; depth range 10 - ? m. Temperate; 5°C - 15°C (Ref. 13614); 42°N - 19°N
North America: Atlantic and Gulf slope drainages from New York to northern Mexico, and St. Lawrence-Great Lakes and Mississippi river basins from southern Quebec west to central North Dakota, and south to the Gulf. At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27549); common length : 22.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. published weight: 1.9 kg (Ref. 4699); max. reported age: 4 years (Ref. 72462)
Pools, backwaters, and sluggish current over soft substrate in creeks and small to large rivers; oxbows, ponds, and impoundments (Ref. 5723, 10294). Feeds on variety of insects and other bottom dwelling organisms such as mollusks and crustaceans (Ref. 27549).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p. (Ref. 5723)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Potential pest (Ref. 13686)
Human uses
Fisheries: subsistence fisheries; gamefish: yes
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5078 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00891 (0.00625 - 0.01271), b=3.06 (2.96 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.46 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=4; Fec=2,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100).