Caught about 30 of these....Catfish ID needed

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MDFishTanks

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Mar 21, 2013
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MD
What type of catfish are these? I just caught about 30 of these in a pond about the size of a 1/2 - 3/4th of a football field ranging from 6-12 inches. I know they are not channel cats because I catch some huge channels and the tails are forked on these . Bullheads??

There was a woman with her children that said when they feed the geese and ducks bread a lot of really big fish come up and eat the bread too. I didn't stick around but I think I am going to go back this weekend.

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It's one of the brown, black, or yellow bullheads. They look much alike and not easy to tell apart. Yes, they all have square tails, not forked like in channels.

The yellow is easy: "The yellow, brown and black bullheads look very similar to each other, but the yellow bullhead is easily distinguished from the other two species by their yellow or white (vs. dusky or black) mandibular barbels." http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=348

The brown can be told from the black like this: "Brown is similar to Ameiurus melas (black) but has 5-8 large saw like teeth on rear of pectoral spine." http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=52 http://www.planetcatfish.com/common/species.php?species_id=32

****So, look at the mandibular (lower jaw or chin) barbels and at the back of the pectoral spines and tell us, please, what you see. Barbels are best to be examined in a tank and on a relaxed fish. Stressed fish exhibit faded/unnatural colors.
 
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