Similarities And Differences Among New York's Catfish

Similarities and differences among New York's catfish species
Description	Habitat	Reproduction	Feeding	Fishing Information	Comments
Brown Bullhead
8-14" long Square tail Gray to black chin barbels Dark brown above yellow to white on belly, mottled coloration on sides	Wide range; cool Adirondack lakes; warmwater ponds, lakes and larger, slow-moving streams	Spawns late spring and summer (May-July) Male builds sauces-shaped nest in shades spot near log or other cover Parent(s) guard eggs and schooling young	Feeds at night Uses barbels to locate food Eats insects, snails, worms, small fishes	Popular panfish Fish in evening on bottom with worms, minnows and doughballs	Very common - found in widest variety of habitats Can tolerate high water temperatures and low oxygen levels
Yellow Bullhead
8-12" long Rounded tail White chin barbels Usually yellowish, but can be much darker	Ponds, streams and small brooks with some vegetation and clear water	Spawns late May to June (but slightly earlier than other bullheads) Male and/or female build saucer-shaped nest under stream bank or near protection of stones or stumps Parent(s) guard eggs and schooling young	Feeds at night Uses barbels to locate food Eats insects, mollusks, crustaceans, small fish	Seldom fished for Fish near bottom using live bait	Less common than brown bullhead Less tolerant of poor water quality than other bullheads does not tolerate muddy waters
Black Bullhead
8-10" long Difficult to distinguish from brown bullhead Square tail Dark chin barbels Dark brown to black in color; lacks mottled coloration on sides	Prefers silty waters of ponds, sluggish creeks and rivers	Spawns spring and early summer (May-June) Female builds saucer-shaped nest near aquatic vegetation Parent(s) guard eggs and schooling young	Feeds at night Uses barbels to locate food Eats insects, clams, snails, crustaceans, leeches, fish	Not actively pursued by anglers because of small size and restricted range	Smallest of N.Y.S. bullheads Tougher than other bullheads - can withstand extremely high water temperatures, low oxygen levels and silly conditions Limited distribution in N.Y.
Channel Catfish
14-20" long Tail deeply forked Young and most adults have black spots on sides Dark in color on top, light on belly	Clearer waters of large lakes and streams Often in currents over gravel or stony bottoms (esp. below power dams)	Spawns early summer (June-July) Male excavates tunnel for a nest - usually under logs or other protection; located where water is clear Male guards eggs and schooling young	Feeds at night and during day Uses barbels and sight to locate food Eats fish, insects, other invertebrates	Large size and good fighters Not sought by many anglers Fish at sunrise - fish on bottom with slip sinker	Can reach trophy size: 20+ inches and 20+ pounds Less tolerant of warm water and low oxygen levels than bullheads Raised as food source on huge "catfish farms" in some southern U.S. states
White Catfish
12-14" long Forked tail (less than channel catfish) Dark in color on top - white on belly No black spots on sides	Found in many areas of brackish water on Hudson Avoids swifter waters of large rivers, but does not thrive in weedy or muddy shallow ponds	Spawns early summer (June-July) Both sexes build a saucer-shaped nest - usually on a sandbar Both parents guard eggs and young	Feeds at night Uses barbels to locate food Eats insects, crustaceans, small fish	Good fighters Fished for on Hudson, but because of location, then accumulate contaminants	Least common catfish in N.Y. Found only in lower Hudson River and a few inland lakes