Madtom or just a baby catfish?

[Nicole.Ortiz]

Curious how you tell the difference? I've been catching these guys at the local lake, and the bigger ones we pull out look way different. Just curious about how you would go about ID'ing one. Thanks!


Also on the second one...is that red spot an anchor worm? I've been seeing them alot on the fish we catch.

 

[Siddons11]

Im thinking theyre yellow bullhead. Here is one of mine for reference.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[jdhuegel1]

Bullhead. Awesome fishes. heres a teeeeeeny one; less than an inch


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Nicole.Ortiz]

Thanks for the ID! I was pretty sure they weren't madtoms because of the tail but didn't know what kind of cats they were. What's weird is every single one over 10" that got pulled out looked to be a channel cat

 

[Nicole.Ortiz]

I'm reading that yellow bullheads stay under 15" and 2lbs...is that what you have experienced?

 

[Siddons11]

Ive never kept one long term so im not exactly sure. Theyre the smallest of the bullheads though

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II

 

[jdhuegel1]

I'm reading that yellow bullheads stay under 15" and 2lbs...is that what you have experienced?

Yup. Although I'm sure there are hybrids swimming around, your normal yellow bullhead stays small. They're cute little pigs!


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Oddball]

You won't catch madtoms with a hook and line. If you suspect you've netted a madton, it can be determined by the architecture of it's adipose (2nd rearward dorsal) fin. In madtom cats, the adipose is connected to the caudal giving the madtom the appearance of an eel-tail cat. In bullheads, the adipose has a definate separation from the caudal.

 

[Nicole.Ortiz]

Yup. Although I'm sure there are hybrids swimming around, your normal yellow bullhead stays small. They're cute little pigs!


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Nice! That means there might be hope for keeping one long term haha. They are very cute

And thanks Oddball! I appreciate the info.

Any ideas on the red spot? I can post more pictures of other fish I've caught with the same spots if need be.

 

[Gill Blue]

looks like a couple of problems. that right fin looks nasty. I'd expect the red spot to be a worm, or some other burrowing parasite. and is that a puncture by the anal fin?
that fish is having a bad day.

did you keep it?