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Matt Wagner (4) Lawrence Kent (3)

Habitat: Inhabits riffles, pools below riffles and runs over gravel and sand mixed with sticks and leaves in creeks and small rivers. Also found in lakes. Inhabits mainstream rivers of small to medium size and the lower reaches of their major tributaries. Most commonly associated with moderate velocities, moderate depth (about 60 cm), clean sand or clay substrata and cover in the form of leaf packs, brush and log jams. Aquarium Care: The Madtoms are well suited to aquarium life. Provide river gravel and smooth rounded stones for hiding places during the day. A power filter at one end of the tank will provide the conditions of a flowing stream for these catfish. Can be housed with other North American fishes such as minnows, darters and shiners. Diet: Feeds on dipteran larvae (midges and blackflies), mayflies (Potamanthus and Stenonema), and hydropsychid caddisflies (Cheumatopsyche). In the aquarium they like most meaty food, such as cut-up earth worms, frozen blood worm and prawns. They will also take tablet and pellet foods. A varied diet will keep them in optimum health.

Brindled madtom, Frecklebely Madtom

None

Ictaluridae

North America: lower Great Lakes drainages in Ontario, Canada and New York, USA southwest through most of Ohio River basin and lower Mississippi River basin (west to east Kansas and Oklahoma); Mohawk River in New York; Pearl River and Lake Pontchartrain drainages in Mississippi and Louisiana, USA. Type locality: Maumee River basin, lower Wabash River basin and White River near Indianapolis, Indiana [restricted to White River near Indianapolis, by lectotype designation].

11.5cm. (4½ins)

16-23°C (59-73°F)

6.5-7.0.

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.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2016. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, ( 06/2016 ).
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2007. Checklist of catfishes, recent and fossil (Osteichthyes: Siluriformes), and catalogue of siluriform primary types. Zootaxa 1418:1-628.