- Flathead catfish
Taxobox
name = Flathead catfish
image_width = 250px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Siluriformes
familia =Ictaluridae
genus = "Pylodictis"
species = "P. olivaris"
binomial = "Pylodictis olivaris"
binomial_authority = (Rafinesque, 1818)The flathead catfish, "Pylodictis olivaris", also called the yellow cat, opelousas, mud cat and shovelhead cat, are largeNorth America n freshwatercatfish . Ranging from the lowerGreat Lakes region to northernMexico , they have been widely introduced and are aninvasive species in some areas.Their native range includes a broad area west of the
Appalachian Mountains encompassing large rivers of theMississippi , Missouri, and Ohio basins. The range extends as far north asNorth Dakota , as far west asArizona , and south to theGulf of Mexico including northeastern Mexico.Flathead catfish are most closely related to the "Satan"
genus of fish. They grow to a length of 155 cm (61 in) and may weigh up to 56 kg (123 lbs). Their maximum recorded lifespan is 20 years. Males are mature from 16 cm and 4 years of age while females mature from 18 cm and 5 years of age, but may mature as late as 10 years. The world angling record flathead catfish was caughtMay 14 ,1998 from Elk City Reservoir,Kansas and weighed 123 lb 9 oz (56.05 kg).Inhabiting deep pools, lakes,and large slow-moving rivers, flathead catfish are popular among anglers; their flesh is widely regarded as the tastiest of the catfishes. Their size also make the flatheads effective subjects of public
aquaria . Like most catfish, flatheads are benthic feeders and prefer live prey. They are voracious carnivores and feed primarily on otherfish ,insect s,annelid worms andcrustacea ns.Sport fishing for flathead catfish using either rod and reel or bare hands (
noodling ) can be an exciting pastime. Anglers target this species in a variety of waterways including small rivers (barely large enough for a canoe), large rivers (such as the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers), and reservoirs. A common element of flathead catfish location is submerged wood cover such as logs and rootwads which often collect at bends in rivers. A good flathead spot usually also includes relatively deep water compared to the rest of a particular section of river, a moderate amount of current, and access to plentiful baitfish such as river herring, shad, carp, drum, panfish, or suckers. Anglers targeting large flathead catfish usually use stout tackle such as medium-heavy or heavy action rods from 6–10 feet (1.8–3.0 meters) in length with large line-capacity reels and line ranging from 20–80 pound (90–360 N, 9–36 kgf) test breaking strength. Generally large live baits are preferred such as riverherring ,shad , sunfish (such asbluegill ),suckers ,carp ,goldfish , drum, andbullheads ranging from 5–12 inches (12–30 cm) in length. Sometimes nearly as much time and effort is spent catching baitfish ahead of time as is spent fishing for flatheads. While not as numerous as other catfish species, catching a large flathead catfish (over 20 pounds) usually makes the effort worthwhile to an avid catfisher. Flathead catfishing often takes place at night either from a boat or from shore once a catfisher has identified a likely looking flathead spot.Spawning occurs in late June and early July, the nests made in areas with submerged logs and other debris. The males, who also build the nests, fiercely and tirelessly defend and fan the clutch. The size of the clutch varies proportionately to the size of the female; an average of 2,640 eggs per kilogram of fish are laid.
The fry frequent shallow areas with rocky and sandy substrates where they feed on insects and worms such as
annelid s andpolychaete s. Young flatheads are also cannibalistic, a fact which has largely precluded their presence inaquaculture .References
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List of fish common names External links
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FishBase : [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=3051&genusname=Pylodictis&speciesname=olivaris "Plyodictis olivaris"]
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