Yellow Bullhead Ameiurus natalis
> Brown, Black, and Yellow Bullhead can hybridize which can make classifying any of these three species difficult.
> Yellow Bullheads emit a toxin from their pectoral spines which can cause pain and swelling to humans if they are poked.
> Yellow Bullheads have over 200,000 taste buds, including on their barbels, mouth, and body.
Identification Tips
> Yellow Bullheads lack scales. They are often yellow to brown in color with a lighter to white colored belly.
> They have square or rounded tails, similar to Brown Bullhead, but different than Channel Catfish, which have a forked tail.
> Their pectoral or dorsal fin spines have barbs on their trailing edges.
> They have light colored chin barbels that are often cream to white in color and have an adipose fin.
> Their anal fin often has a dark stripe in the middle.
Natural History
> Yellow Bullheads are opportunistic feeders. They rely heavily on their sense of smell, touch, and taste to locate their food.
> They are primarily nocturnal conducting their foraging for food at night. They are able to recognize individuals and their social status among other bullheads by their smell.
> They reproduce in late spring or early summer when water temperatures are approximately 70°F (21.1°C). Eggs are laid in batches and the nest is guarded by at least one parent. Once the eggs hatch into fry, they are balled into a school and protected by their parents until they are two inches (five cm) long and can adequately swim around the water column.
Size
> They may live as long as 6-8 years in the wild.
Range
> They are native to the eastern United States and the Atlantic Coast. Yellow Bullheads are nonnative in the Pacific Northwest, including Oregon, and the Willamette River basin.
> Yellow and Brown Bullhead are found throughout the mainstem Willamette River,and in the tributaries, and ponds.
> They range from 8 to 13 inches (20 to 33 cm) in length.
Habitat
> Yellow Bullhead spend most of their lives on or near the bottom of ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and off channels of rivers. Yellow Bullhead often live in muddy bottomed areas with heavy vegetation.
Diet
> Yellow Bullheads eat a wide variety of foods throughout their lives. When they are young they consume mostly insect larvae and small crustaceans. Adults eat dead plants or animals, including larger crayfishes, insects, fishes, and aquatic invertebrates.
Management And Conservation Actions
> Bullheads can be caught any month of the year, but fishing is best from the first warm days of February through October.
Similar Species
> Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus): chin barbels in this species are dark but paler at the base. They are a dark mottled yellowish-brown with a yellow to white colored belly.