Brown or black bullhead?

firefly1152

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Apr 19, 2016
41
20
13
Wisconsin
This is from a baitshop tank in Wisconsin. He's about 3 inches long and currently hanging out in a 10g until I get the 75g ready.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if he's a black or brown. He had a white molted appearance when I first got him, but I attributed that to stress and lack of food. The baitshop I got him from doesn't feed their fish.

As of today, he has a black coloring with a white belly. He likes to eat snails, so I have a bunch of bladder snails in with him. He also gets omega one shrimp pellets.

The first two pics were taken a week after I got him. The rest were taken today when I did a water change. He didn't want to sit still, so I put him an a container for pictures.

20170909_164851.jpg 20170909_165039.jpg Screenshot_20171129-093415.png 20171129_092531.jpg

Screenshot_20171129-124705.png
 

tlindsey

Silver Tier VIP
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2011
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Ohio
This is from a baitshop tank in Wisconsin. He's about 3 inches long and currently hanging out in a 10g until I get the 75g ready.

I'm having a hard time trying to figure out if he's a black or brown. He had a white molted appearance when I first got him, but I attributed that to stress and lack of food. The baitshop I got him from doesn't feed their fish.

As of today, he has a black coloring with a white belly. He likes to eat snails, so I have a bunch of bladder snails in with him. He also gets omega one shrimp pellets.

The first two pics were taken a week after I got him. The rest were taken today when I did a water change. He didn't want to sit still, so I put him an a container for pictures.

View attachment 1286827 View attachment 1286828 View attachment 1286829 View attachment 1286831

View attachment 1286832


type Brown or Black Bullhead in the search bar above and see if that helps.
 

Moontanman

Polypterus
MFK Member
Mar 6, 2008
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Cape Fear, NC
blogs.scienceforums.net
I think it's a black bullhead, I have a brown bullhead, his color is more mottled brown that flat black like the one you show...
 

firefly1152

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
Apr 19, 2016
41
20
13
Wisconsin
I tried counting rays and it seems he has only 16-ish.

Also, there have been reports of black x brown hybrids in Wisconsin. Any ideas on what traits they have?
 
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divemaster99

Dovii
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Jan 10, 2014
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As stated above, it looks like the fish only has ~16 anal rays. Less than 19 indicates it would be a Black Bullhead. If you can get a positive count to verify, that'd help a lot.
 

Dat boi blu

Black Skirt Tetra
MFK Member
May 16, 2017
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I’d say brown. The belly isn’t that yellow. It could just be water quality or the fishes personal coloration
 
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