Overview
The flathead catfish is very distinctive in appearance and not easily confused with any other species. It is one of the largest catfish in its family, second in size only to the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). It has a squarish, rather than forked, tail. Its body is long and its head is wide and distinctly flattened. The eyes accentuate the flatness of the head with their distinctly flat looking, oval shape and the lower jaw further accentuates it by protruding beyond the upper jaw. In general coloration, the flathead catfish is mottled with varying shades of brown and yellow.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Ictaluridae
- Genus
- Pylodictis
- Species
- olivaris
Habitat
Native to the large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins from southern North Dakota, south into northern Mexico, and east as far as Lake Erie's southeast coast and the western most tip of the Florida panhandle. It occurs broadly over this entire areaand has now been widely introduced outside its native range.
Diet
It seems to have a distinct preference for fish, but it is omnivorous and will eat mostly any fish it comes by.
Behavior
They reach sexual maturity between the third and sixth year. Spawning season is from late May through August, when the water temperature is between 75° and 80° F. Males select hollow logs, caves or areas beneath the banks for their nest sites. Males may even improve their selected sites by creating shallow depressions for the females to lay their eggs. Egg number varies greatly depending on female size, but the average is up to 100,000 eggs at a time. Average lifespan of the flathead catfish is 12 to 14 years, but one recorded flathead catfish lived 24 years. Adults are usually solitary, each staking out a favorite spot under a tree or in a cove, in deep water. At night, they move into shallow areas to feed. Males defend their nest and eggs aggressively. They will fan the nest with their tails to keep the eggs clean and provide them with oxygenated water. If females have been eating poorly, their bodies may conserve resources by not releasing eggs. Poor overall health and certain environmental conditions such as drought or flood can reduce flatheads' ability to spawn. In healthy times, clutches can reach 100,000 eggs, but only a small number will survive.
Fishing
This popular food fish has an excellent flavor. It seems to have a distinct preference for fish, but it is omnivorous and will eat most anything that suits its fancy. Its large size makes it especially popular with anglers. Rod and reel anglers may have the greatest success with flathead catfish just below reservoir dams. Because of their popularity with anglers, they have been introduced in many other states where they have adapted well. In some cases, however, they have out-competed the native fish species, causing those native fish populations to decline sharply, disrupting some natural ecological processes.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by IUCN.