Noturus flavus

Rafinesque, 1818

Stonecat

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101382
Element CodeAFCKA02070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderSiluriformes
FamilyIctaluridae
GenusNoturus
Other Common Names
Barbotte des rapides (FR) Chat-fou des rapides (FR)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
The population in the Tennessee River drainage appears to be taxonomically distinct from populations in the upper Mississippi River basin (Cavender, in Burkhead and Jenkins 1991). The population in the Cumberland River drainage exhibits distinctive a pigment pattern (Page and Burr 1991). Distinctive coloration also has been noted in Alabama (Mettee et al. 1996). See Grady and LeGrande (1992) for a study of phylogenetic relationships, modes of speciation, and historical biogeography of NOTURUS madtom catfishes. See Lundberg (1992) for a synthesis of recent work on the systematic relationships of ictalurid catfishes.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-09-22
Change Date1996-09-19
Range Extent Comments
St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to Alberta and south to northern Alabama, northern Mississippi, Arkansas, northeastern Oklahoma, and Colorado; Hudson River drainage, New York (Page and Burr 1991; see also McCulloch and Stewart 1998).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
Potential threats include siltation, pollution, and impoundment.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Often under rocks in runs, riffles, and rapids in warm creeks and small to large rivers; in some areas in the north, also occurs in natural lakes near sand and gravel bars with wave action. Typically in streams with many large loose rocks. In Missouri, largely rheophilic and associated with fairly shallow depths and high current velocities (Banks and DiStefano 2002). May move to deep water in winter, to quiet water to feed. Spawns in streams or in shallow rocky areas of lakes; eggs deposited beneath stones.

Ecology

Sometimes rather common, more so than most NOTURUS (Lee et al. 1980).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring and summer, later in north than in south. In Ohio, nesting occurs from June to August, when water temperature exceeds 25 C. Different sources report that one or both parents guard eggs or that the male guards and broods the eggs. Matures in 3-4 years, lives up to 9 years (Lee et al. 1980, Becker 1983).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanS2Yes
QuebecS3Yes
OntarioS4Yes
AlbertaS2Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MichiganS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
South DakotaS5Yes
MississippiS2Yes
IllinoisS4Yes
MontanaS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
IndianaS4Yes
MarylandS1Yes
MissouriSNRYes
ArkansasS1Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
KansasS5Yes
OklahomaS2Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
WyomingS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
North CarolinaS1Yes
ColoradoS1Yes
IowaS5Yes
AlabamaS1Yes
VirginiaS2Yes
New YorkS3Yes
VermontS1Yes
OhioS5Yes
NebraskaS5Yes
TennesseeS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
Roadless Areas (4)
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
Montana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tenderfoot - Deep CreekLewis and Clark National Forest85,614
South Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cheyenne RiverBuffalo Gap National Grassland7,572
Red ShirtBuffalo Gap National Grassland17,007
References (40)
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  2. Baxter, G. T., and J. R. Simon. 1970. Wyoming fishes. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 168 pp.
  3. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
  4. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  5. Burkhead, N. M., and R. E. Jenkins. 1991. Fishes. Pages 321-409 in K. Terwilliger (coordinator). Virginia's Endangered Species: Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia.
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