Black Bullhead Catfish are native to New York and can be found in the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins. They’ve been widely introduced outside their native range in the western U.S. and Atlantic coastal states. Black Bullhead distribution in New York from early years is poorly understood. However, it is believed that the Black Bullhead is native to at least 7 of 18 watersheds (Allegheny, Champlain, Erie-Niagara, Genesee, Ontario, Oswegatchie, and Oswego). They van be found in backwaters, oxbows, impoundments, swamps, ponds, lakes, and low-gradient streams. They prefer stagnant, slow-moving, warm, and turbid (muddy) waters with a preference for mud or silt.
The Black Bullhead are easily mistaken for brown bullhead,. Anal fin ray and gill raker can be used to differentiate the two species. Black Bullheads typically live p to 5 years and they reach sexual maturity between 2 and 4, depending on location and conditions. The Protection of Waters Program provides protection for the Black Bullhead as it is possible that they are declining as a result of modifications to water quality.
Websites:
- Black bullhead – Wikipedia
- Black bullhead | FWS.gov – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) – iNaturalist
- Ameiurus melas (Black catfish) – Animal Diversity Web
- [PDF] Black Bullhead Species Status Assessment 2023
- Black Bullhead: Identification, Habitat & How to Catch | FishDatabase
- Black Bullhead – American Catfishing Association
- Kids’ Inquiry of Diverse Species, Ameiurus melas, Black catfish
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