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Home/Species/ Black Bullhead

Ameiurus melas

(Rafinesque, 1820)

Black Bullhead

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104669
Element CodeAFCKA06030
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 melas
Other Common Names
Barbotte noire (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The 1991 AFS checklist followed J. Lundberg (1989 unpublished abstract, 1992) in removing the bullheads and white catfish from the genus ICTALURUS and placing them in the genus AMEIURUS (Robins et al. 1991).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: CATULUS from Gulf Coast states and northern Mexico, MELAS from farther north.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-19
Edition Date2011-10-14
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Large range in North America; large population size; widely introduced and established outside native range; no major threats.
Range Extent Comments
Native to the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins in most of the eastern and central United States and adjacent southern Canada and northern Mexico, south to the Gulf Coast (Gulf Coast drainages from Mobile Bay in Georgia and Alabama to northern Mexico) (Page and Burr 2011); apparently not native to the Atlantic Slope. Introduced widely 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

This catfish occurs in ponds, small lakes, river backwaters, swamps, impoundments, and stream pools, in areas with warm and turbid water, muddy bottoms, slow currents, and few other fish species. Adults tend to be inactive in schools in aquatic vegetation during daylight hours. Eggs are laid in shallow nests made by females on the bottom in mud or sand, in secluded areas such as under logs or mats of aquatic vegetation (Sublette et al. 1990); adults fan water over the eggs.

Ecology

Juveniles swim in compact school, adults tend to be solitary. Wild pond populations may reach 227 kg/ha (Moyle 1976).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring and summer. Nest guarded by adults. Eggs hatch in 5-10 days. Hatchlings stay together for 2-3 weeks in tight moving ball, guarded by parent(s). Sexually mature in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th summer, depending on location/conditions (Becker 1983, Moyle 1976).
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS5Yes
OntarioS4Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
British ColumbiaSNANo
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MassachusettsSNANo
GeorgiaS4Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
NevadaSNANo
IllinoisS5Yes
OregonSNANo
ArkansasS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
Navajo NationSNANo
MontanaSNANo
WisconsinS5Yes
IndianaS4Yes
UtahSNANo
ArizonaSNANo
North DakotaSNRYes
OhioS5Yes
North CarolinaSNANo
MarylandSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
New YorkS1Yes
CaliforniaSNANo
New JerseySNANo
AlabamaS5Yes
WashingtonSNANo
ColoradoS5Yes
KansasS5Yes
South CarolinaSNANo
TennesseeS5Yes
IowaS5Yes
New MexicoS3Yes
MissouriSNRYes
South DakotaS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
ConnecticutSNANo
WyomingS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
TexasS5Yes
IdahoSNANo
NebraskaS5Yes
MichiganS5Yes
PennsylvaniaSUYes
MississippiS5Yes
West VirginiaS1Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (6)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
ManzanaLos Padres National Forest2,101
Montana (2)
AreaForestAcres
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Saddle Mountain #168Kootenai National Forest14,675
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Winters BayouNational Forests in Texas730
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
South FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest3,374
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
References (41)
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  3. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
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