Catfish, flathead
(Pylodictis olivaris)
(Pylodictis olivaris)
(Rafinesque, 1818); ICTALURIDAE FAMILY
Native to the large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins from southern North Dakota, south into northern Mexico, and east as far as Lake Erie's southeast coast and the western most tip of the Florida panhandle. It occurs broadly over this entire areaand has now been widely introduced outside its native range.
The flathead catfish is very distinctive in appearance and not easily confused with any other species. It is one of the largest catfish in its family, second in size only to the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). It has a squarish, rather than forked, tail. Its body is long and its head is wide and distinctly flattened. The eyes accentuate the flatness of the head with their distinctly flat looking, oval shape and the lower jaw further accentuates it by protruding beyond the upper jaw. In general coloration, the flathead catfish is mottled with varying shades of brown and yellow.
This popular food fish has an excellent flavor. It frequents deep sluggish pools with hard bottoms in large rivers. It seems to have a distinct preference for fish, but it is omnivorous and will eat most anything that suits its fancy. Its large size makes it especially popular with anglers
Native to the large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins from southern North Dakota, south into northern Mexico, and east as far as Lake Erie's southeast coast and the western most tip of the Florida panhandle. It occurs broadly over this entire areaand has now been widely introduced outside its native range.
The flathead catfish is very distinctive in appearance and not easily confused with any other species. It is one of the largest catfish in its family, second in size only to the blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus). It has a squarish, rather than forked, tail. Its body is long and its head is wide and distinctly flattened. The eyes accentuate the flatness of the head with their distinctly flat looking, oval shape and the lower jaw further accentuates it by protruding beyond the upper jaw. In general coloration, the flathead catfish is mottled with varying shades of brown and yellow.
This popular food fish has an excellent flavor. It frequents deep sluggish pools with hard bottoms in large rivers. It seems to have a distinct preference for fish, but it is omnivorous and will eat most anything that suits its fancy. Its large size makes it especially popular with anglers