Species profile
Yellow Bullhead
Ameiurus natalis
At a glance
Yellow Bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 20 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 10 (Michigan); the most generous is 100 (Missouri).
Confirmed by 3,486 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, Ohio, and Florida the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Its pale, whitish chin barbels are the easiest field mark separating it from the brown bullhead.
- Tolerates low-oxygen, murky water far better than most warmwater fish.
- A nocturnal forager, it uses eight sensitive barbels to detect prey in complete darkness.
- Both parents guard the nest, and the male often herds fry for days after they hatch.
- Typically reaches 6–14 inches; most adults weigh well under a pound.
Where Yellow Bullhead are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Yellow Bullhead
Background
The yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) is a species of bullhead catfish that is a ray-finned fish that lacks scales.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Yellow Bullhead article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.