Ameiurus nebulosus

(Lesueur, 1819)

Brown Bullhead

G5Secure Found in 12 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). Photo by Jason Hill, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Jason Hill, CC BY 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103081
Element CodeAFCKA06050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderSiluriformes
FamilyIctaluridae
GenusAmeiurus
Synonyms
Ictalurus nebulosus
Other Common Names
Barbotte brune (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The 1991 AFS checklist followed J. Lundberg (1989 unpublished abstract, 1992) in removing the bullheads and white catfish from the genus Ictalurus and placing them in the genus Ameiurus (Robins et al. 1991). Two subspecies sometimes are recognized, northern nebulosus and southern marmoratus.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-19
Edition Date2011-10-15
Edition AuthorsHammerson
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Large range extent in central and eastern North america; large population size;stable or increasing trend; no major threats.
Range Extent Comments
This bullhead is native in most of the eastern United States and adjacent southern Canada, west to southeastern Saskatchewan, Nebraska, and Louisiana; it is common in the Northeast and on the Atlantic and Gulf slopes, sporadic elsewhere (Page and Burr 2011). It is widely introduced and established outside the native range.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes ponds, lakes, sluggish creeks and small to large rivers, sloughs, backwaters, and reservoirs. Usually this bullhead occurs in vegetated shallows over sand, rock, mud, or silt (most often soft substrates), in clear to turbid water (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). It may burrow into soft bottoms and become inactive in winter. Eggs are laid in open excavations in sand, gravel, or (rarely) mud, often in shelter of logs, rocks, or vegetation, or in holes, burrows, or debris. Nest made by one or both sexes usually are around shores or in coves or creek mouths.

Ecology

Moves widely in large lakes, as much as 26 km from point of release (Moyle 1976).

Reproduction

Spawns in late spring and summer. Eggs hatch in 6-9 days. Parents stay with eggs and hatchlings. Usually first breed in third year (Becker 1983, Moyle 1976).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS5Yes
IdahoSNANo
West VirginiaS2Yes
CaliforniaSNANo
OklahomaSHYes
DelawareS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
ArkansasS2Yes
MissouriS3Yes
ColoradoSNANo
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
TennesseeS3Yes
New MexicoSNANo
New HampshireS5Yes
MaineS5Yes
IndianaS4Yes
TexasSNANo
KentuckyS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
MississippiS4Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
South DakotaSUYes
NebraskaSNANo
OhioS5Yes
IowaS3Yes
MichiganS2Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
LouisianaSNAYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
FloridaSNRYes
NevadaSNANo
KansasSNANo
Rhode IslandS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
ArizonaSNANo
IllinoisS3Yes
MarylandS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
VermontS5Yes
WashingtonSNANo
OregonSNANo
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS5Yes
New BrunswickS5Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandSNANo
SaskatchewanS3Yes
OntarioS5Yes
British ColumbiaSNANo
ManitobaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats

Roadless Areas (12)
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Castle PeakTahoe National Forest14,974
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
Montana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
New Hampshire (5)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
JobildunkWhite Mountain National Forest3,660
Mt. Wolf - Gordon PondWhite Mountain National Forest11,846
Pemigewasset ExtWhite Mountain National Forest15,840
Sandwich RangeWhite Mountain National Forest16,797
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
W. BoundaryWinema National Forest2,345
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