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Catfish: Brown Bullhead 

Brown Bullhead
(Ameiurus nebulosus)

Common Names - creek cat, mud cat, horned pout, red cat, speckled cat

Description - The chin barbels on browns are pigmented, not whitish as with yellow bullheads. The sides of brown bullheads have a distinct, irregular brownish mottling over a light background. The belly is creamy white. They have square tails and 20 to 24 anal ray fins.

Subspecies - Two are recognized: the northern brown bullhead and the southern brown bullhead. Brown bullheads also are known to hybridize with black bullheads.

Range - Throughout Florida, except in the extreme southern part of the state.

Habitat - Browns generally inhabit still or slowly-flowing warm waters in ponds, lakes, reservoirs, large rivers and sluggish streams. They prefer water temperatures of 78 to 82 degrees, but can survive in warmer waters. They inhabit areas with mud or deep muck as well as sand or gravel bottoms.

Spawning Habits - Browns are nest builders and often select a site next to some underwater object such as a rock or log. Both parents often care for the eggs, and guard the young up to a size of one inch. At times the parent fish have been observed picking up the eggs or fry in their mouths to clean them, depositing them back in the nest afterwards.

Feeding Habits - They are primarily bottom feeders, feeding mostly at night. Highly sensitive barbels enable them to smell a wide variety of food such as insects, plant material, carrion, small fish, snails, crayfish, worms and leeches.

Age and Growth - Browns are the largest of the bullheads and occasionally reach a weight of three pounds, although they average closer to one pound or less. The maximum age is about 12 years.

Sporting Quality - Fair fighters, they are easy to catch with baits such as worms, minnows, shrimp, chicken innards and stinkbait. They bite throughout the day, but fishing is best at night.

Eating Quality - A good food fish, only slightly inferior to the white and channel catfish, if caught from clean waters.

Records - World Record: 5.50 pounds, caught in Veal Pond, Georgia, in 1975. State Record: None Exists.