Eyetail Bowfin

At a glance

Eyetail Bowfin (Amia ocellicauda) is a bony-fish species present across the CatchRules coverage area but without species-specific bag, size, or season rules tracked in our regulatory dataset.

Confirmed by 1,734 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Ontario, Michigan, and Texas the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Its name ocellicauda means 'eye tail,' referring to the distinct eyespot at the base of the male's tail fin.
• Like all bowfin, it breathes air and can survive in warm, oxygen-depleted backwaters and swamps.
• Found in Atlantic Slope drainages from Virginia south through the Carolinas and into Georgia.
• Males guard the nest ferociously and are among the most attentive freshwater fish fathers in North America.
• Despite an ancient lineage, it is a highly effective ambush predator of fish, frogs, and crayfish.

Where Eyetail Bowfin are seen

• Ontario358 iNat obs
• Michigan168 iNat obs
• Texas161 iNat obs
• Minnesota133 iNat obs
• Wisconsin102 iNat obs
• New York101 iNat obs

Background

Amia ocellicauda, the eyespot bowfin, is a species of bowfin native to North America. Originally described by John Richardson from Lake Huron in 1836, it was synonymized with Amia calva until genetic work in 2022 revealed them to be separate species. This species ranges from around the Great Lakes south to the Gulf Coast wetlands of Louisiana and Texas. It is absent from the southeast, where its…

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Eyetail Bowfin article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• Brown TroutSalmo trutta
• Eastern MosquitofishGambusia holbrooki
• Creek ChubSemotilus atromaculatus