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Ameiurus nebulosus
Two dorsal fins including one adipose fin, tail only slightly notched barbels around mouth. Can be distinguished from other bullhead species by the black to yellowish-brown chin barbels, regular saw-like barbs on the pelvic spines, and the presence of 21 to 24 rays in the anal fin.
Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri © Brown bullhead live in lakes, ponds and slow-moving rivers. They are most common in shallow water, on or near a soft bottom with lots of vegetation, but they have been found as deep as 40 feet. Anglers generally fish on the bottom with worms or nightcrawlers. A word of warning: bullheads have sharp spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins and should be handled with care.
Brown bullhead are nocturnal bottom feeders. Their diet varies depending on food availability and includes algae, plants, mollusks, insects, fish eggs and fish. They may compete for food with other bottom-feeding fish. Bullheads, especially when young, are eaten by muskellunge, northern pike, walleye, flathead catfish and other predatory fish.
Brown bullhead spawn in the late spring or early summer, in nests or cavities prepared in mud, sand or gravel. These nests are usually located near a log, vegetation or some other form of protection. One or both parents care for the eggs, since they must be diligently fanned and stirred. In a week or so, the eggs hatch and young emerge, looking very much like tadpoles. Their parents accompany them until they reach about two inches in length.
Brown bullhead usually reach sexual maturity at three years of age, and their life span rarely exceeds six to eight years. The average adult brown bullhead is only eight to 14 inches long and weighs about one pound. The current state record brown bullhead weighed 3.8 pounds.
They are easy and fun to catch, and they are known to be delicious. Bullhead can be prepared in the kitchen in a number of ways and is also good when smoked.
Ictalurus melas
Dark olive to black in color, with a pale underside. Slightly forked tail. Gray or black barbels. Scaleless and 8 to 10 inches in length. Fin spines sharp, but smooth.
After the spring thaw, these hungry scavengers are ready to bite. Simple equipment is the key. Use long-shanked hooks and needle-nosed pliers to more easily retrieve bait, or just snip the line and retrieve your hook at cleaning time. Gloves or a rag will help prevent "stings" from their barbs. Nightcrawlers or cut bait work best. Find shallow lake bays or river eddies to target bullheads. Weight your bait to rest on the bottom.
Able to thrive in murky waters with lower oxygen, they will eat almost anything, from plant matter to insects, dead or living fish, and crustaceans. Black bullheads have no scales; instead, they have about 100,000 taste receptors all over their bodies, many of which are on barbels near their mouths. The receptors help the fish to identify food in their dark habitats. During the winter, black bullhead's appetite decreases, and may stop eating altogether.
Bullheads begin to spawn as the summer hits and waters warm. Black bullheads prefer the muddy bottoms. The females form shallow saucer-shaped depressions in the bottom by waving their lower fins. Nests are usually next to as a hollow logs, rocks or brush. Females deposit around 4,000 eggs that are then fertilized by the male. Both the male and female protect the nest and eggs. Hatching usually occurs in five to 10 days depending on the water temperature. Small clouds of bullhead fry travel the shoreline as the parents circle the school to keep them together for about 2 weeks, then they young are on their own. The fish mature in three to four years.
Bullheads are probably best known for the sting that can result from careless handling, which is actually a cut from their sharp edged fin barbs.
