Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur, 1819)
Image contributors to this species:
Allan James (2) Frants Lehmann (2 Stamps) Reinhold Wawrzynski (7) Wolfgang Ros (2) Johnny Jensen's Photographic Library (3)
ScotCat Sources:
Other Sources:
Relevant Information:	Occurs in pools and sluggish runs over soft substrates in creeks and small to large rivers. Also found in impoundments, lakes, and ponds. Rarely enters brackish waters. A nocturnal feeder that feeds mollusks, insects, leeches, crayfish and plankton, worms, algae, plant material, fishes and has been reported to feed on eggs of least cisco, herring and lake trout. Juveniles (3-6 cm) feed mostly on chironomid larvae, cladocerans, ostracods, amphipods, bugs and mayflies. Can tolerate high carbon dioxide and low oxygen concentrations and temperatures up to 31.6 °C although experiments show upper lethal temp. to be 37.5 °C; resistant to domestic and industrial pollution. Has been observed to bury itself in mud to escape adverse environmental conditions). Aquarium Care: Bullheads adapt well to aquarium conditions but do bare in mind that they does grow big along with the capable size of its mouth! so if housing with other temperate fish you would be better going for larger stock such as yellow perch or the larger sunfishes. Putting them in with goldfish is not a good idea, not for the poor goldfish anyway!. They adapt well to most aquarium conditions as long as you give them a cave of some sort and to keep the lighting down to a minimum for viewing purposes.
Common Name:	Brown Bullhead
Synonyms:	Ictalurus nebulosus marmoratus, I.nebulosus nebulosus, Amieurus vulgaris, A.lacustris, A.cactus, A.nebulosus, Pimelodus atrarius, P.cactus, P.felis, P.vulgaris, P. nebulosus, Silurus nigrescens, S.coenosus
Family:	Ictaluridae
Distribution:	North America: Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from Nova Scotia and New  Brunswick in Canada to Mobile Bay  in Alabama in USA, and St. Lawrence- Great  Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi River basins from Quebec west to Saskatchewan in Canada and south to  Louisiana, USA. Introduced into several  countries. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction. Asia: Iran and Turkey (introduced).
Size:	48cm. (19¼ins)
Temp:	08 -30°C (45-87°F)
p.H.	6.0-7.5.
Reference:	ScotCat Factsheet no. 08. May 1997. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (04/2010).