The brown bullhead has four pairs of dark, whisker-like barbels around the mouth. (James Dowling-Healey/Animal Diversity Web)
The brown bullhead is a smooth-skinned catfish with a mottled, brownish body and whisker-like barbels around the mouth. It lives in slow-moving ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Appearance:
Olive or yellowish-brown body mottled with brown or black
Yellowish-white belly
Smooth-skinned
Broad, flat head
Four pairs of dark, whisker-like barbels around the mouth
Squared tail fin
Sharp spines on dorsal and pectoral fins
Usually grows to about one foot long, but can be as long as 20 inches
Habitat:
Lives in fresh and slightly brackish waters, including shallows, clear pools and deeper areas
Prefers slow-moving waters with a soft bottom and lots of vegetation
Bottom-dweller
Range:
Found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers throughout the Bay watershed
Feeding:
Bottom-feeder
Eats algae, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, crayfish and other fish
Uses its long barbels to taste for prey
Predators:
Larger predatory fish may prey upon brown bullheads, especially young
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Spawns from April-June
The parents build a nest in a dark, protected area such as under a rock or inside a hollow, submerged log
The female lays her eggs into the nest. Both parents guard the eggs and young.
Can live as long as 7 years
Other Facts:
Considered to be a delicious fish to eat
Catfish have poor eyesight, so they rely on their sensory barbels to find prey
Sources and Additional Information:
Fishes of Chesapeake Bay by Edward O. Murdy, Ray S. Birdsong and John A. Musick
