what kind of bullheads?

[Mikeberg]

the only thing the chin barbels would tell you if it is a yellow bullhead or different bullheads, because all the others have brown or black barbels instead of white or yellow

The book Freshwater Fishes of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, & Delaware
Flat Bullhead can be distinguished from Snail Bullhead by a bicolored maxillary barbel. The chin barbels look white in the photo of the Flat Bullhead.
I assume the anal fin ray count is the same.

According to The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Wales, & Dolphins.
Snail Bullheads have 17 - 20 anal fin rays.
Brown Bullhead have 21 - 24 anal fin rays.

The one I believe to be a Southern Brown Bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus nebulosus), and the other I think could be a Flat Bullhead or Snail Bullhead.
But I would like to see the barbels to be sure.

I also agree that there is a huge vareation in color, even from the same lake. I too have caught Yellow Bullheads that were black with a yellow/white belly, and others that were the usual brown and yellow or white, and Brown Bullheads that were yellowish to brownish and not mottled & others that were very mottled all from the same lake in Michigan.

I do not think either is a Spotted Bullhead.

 

[Mikeberg]

OK, I found my Peterson field guide.

First of all Spotted, Snail, & Flat Bullhead have alarge dark blotch on the dorsal fin base.

Spotted & Snail Bullhead have nerrow black edge on fins, others do not.

Spotted Bullhead have 15 - 20 large sawlike teeth on rear of pectoral spine.
Flat & Snail Bullhead have NO large sawlike teeth on rear of pectoral spine.
Brown Bullhead have 5 - 8 large sawlike teeth on rear of pectoral spine.

Spotted Bullhead have 20 -23 anal fin rays.
Snail Bullheads have 17 - 20 anal fin rays.
Flat Bullhead have 21 - 24 anal fin rays.
Brown Bullhead have 21 - 24 anal fin rays.

I did not see a black edge on the fins of your fish in your photos.
So I do not think they are either Snail or Spotted Bullhead.

 

[Mikeberg]

Look to see if they have a large dark blotch on the dorsal fin base. I could not tell from your photos.
If it has one it has to be a Flat Bullhead, if not, its a Brown Bullhead.

You can also check for sawlike teeth on the pectoral spine, to be sure.

I tried counting the anal fin rays, not that easy from a photo. But it looed to me that one had 20 & the other had 24. They both fall into the Flat or Brown Bullhead counts.

Mike

 

[kntrygrl4lyfe]

Ive had my spotteds for well over a year now, and Ive seen/got babies that dont look like it untill they are full grown. how big are they now? sorry if I missed it.

I say just wait it out I guess.

 

[kafiltafiisch]

brown definately

 

[RpR]

the first and last pics are the same fish.
so are they all the same kind?
and what kind/kinds are they?
thanks

,
Gentlemen:
I have been reading this site , n and off , for some time,specifically because of the bullhead info one can find here.

In Minn. we have black, brown , and yellow bullheads.
Pure strain browns are DARK spots on a lighter but DARK background.
Blacks and browns inter-breed easily up here so pure browns are on that easly to find.
Black bullheads uphere, range from black to olive green, or semi-yellow.
The only way one can really tell a yellow from a black easily is by the white barbels.
bullheads were the first fish I ever causght and have fascinated me for decades.

Black bullheads uphere, range from black to olive green, or semi-yellow.
The only way one can really tell a yellow from a black easily is by the white barbels.
bullheads were the first fish I ever causght and have fascinated me for decades.

In Minn. we have brown, black and yellow bullheads.
Browns are dark spots,on a lighter DARK background.
Blacks and browns inter-breed often so to see a pure strain brown up here is semi-irregular.

Black bullheads uphere, range from black to olive green, or semi-yellow.
The only way one can really tell a yellow from a black easily is by the white barbels.

 

[RpR]

Due to a glitch in my computer, part of this message was duplicated, but there is no edit feature on this site.