/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/1.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(1) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/2.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(2) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/3.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(3) Underwater - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/4.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(4) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/5.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(5) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/6.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(6) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/7.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(7) Underwater - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/8.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(8) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/9.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(9) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/10.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(10) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/11.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(11) - Click to enlarge")
/ictaluridae/pylodictis/olivaris/12.jpg "Pylodictis olivaris(12) - Click to enlarge")
 Cat-eLog Data Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque, 1818) |
| Common Name(s) | Appaloosa Catfish, Appaluchion, Flat Belly Catfish, Flat Head Catfish, Goujon, Mississippi Catfish, Mud Catfish, North American Flathead Catfish, Tabby Catfish, Yellow Catfish |
| Type Locality | Ohio R., U.S.A. |
| Synonym(s) | Silurus olivaris |
| Pronunciation | pie low dik tuss - olive ARR iss |
| Etymology | Pylodictis: From the Greek, pelos, meaning mud, and ichthys, meaning fish; in reference to the habit. The specific epithet, olivaris, means olive coloured. |
| Species Information | |
| Size | 1530mm (60.2") SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp. |
| Identification | Unique looking among North American catfish, the hands down ugliest one. The current rod and reel record from Elk City Reservoir in Kansas stands at 123 pounds. Commercial fishermen have recorded flatheads at five feet long and 140 pounds. |
| Sexing | Unknown |
| Habitat Information | |
| Distribution | Native to the southern Great Lakes, Mississippi basin, and Gulf slope drainage systems. Introduced to the Atlantic drainage systems and in California. Great Lakes, Lake Michigan  (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)Gulf Coast Drainages, Mississippi (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) Great Lakes, Lake Erie (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there)Gulf Coast Drainages (hover or click on these areas to show maps or find other species found there) |
| pH | 6.0 - 7.6 |
| Temperature | 10.0-23.0°C or 50-73.4°F (Show others within this range) |
| Other Parameters | Prefers large deep rivers. It also tolerates turbidity well. At night, it moves into shallows to feed. They rest in deep pools during the day under logs and cut banks. This fish prefers hard sand and gravel substrates. |
| Husbandry Information | |
| Feeding | Crayfish, clams, and especially other fishes. |
| Furniture | Not a fish for the home aquarium. |
| Compatibility | Anything it can not swallow. This is North America's fourth largest fish after the blue catfish. |
| Breeding | A saucer-shaped depression is excavated and thousands of eggs are laid in a yellow mass. The males guards and fans the eggs. |
| Further Information | |
| References | Am. Monthly Mag. Crit. Rev.v. 3 (5) (Sept. 1818) - pp355 A Field Guide To Freshwater Fishes North America North American Native Fishes for the Home Aquarium American Aquarium Fishes |
| Registered Keepers | (1) arapaima, (2) Moontanman, who also notes: "This catfish is one of my favorites, they are as smart as any cichlid and will recognize their keeper. They are not really suitable as anything but a specimen "pet" and cannot be kept with any other fish. Since they are sedentary and seldo", (3) bapachu, (4) EVK5, (5) miles3, (6) human001, (7) tbinchrist (p: 2), who also notes: "A cool fish, very tame. Getting to be a real beggar for food, has eaten out of my hand. Has an enormous appetite.". Click on a username above to see all that persons registered catfish species. You can also view all "my cats" data for this species.  Add this species to your "my cats" page. |
| Breeding Reports | None. |
| More Resources |
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Search Planet Catfish for more on Pylodictis olivaris
 - BBcode (for use in linking to this page from forum posts) - Look up Pylodictis olivaris on AquaticRepublic.com
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| Hits | 24370 hits. |
| Last Update | 2006 Mar 19 00:00 (species record created: 2001 Apr 25 00:00) |
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