#Ictaluridae

[uncharismatic-fauna]

The Beautiful Blue Catfish

Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are members of the bullhead catfish family, native to the drainages of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio river basins and the Gulf of Mexico. Because of their popularity as game fish, this species has also been introduced to freshwater systems throughout North and South America, and is considered invasive in these areas.

Like many catfish, I. furcatus is a bottom dweller. They can often be found near complex structures such as rocky outcroppings, fallen trees, or sunken structures that provide both food and shelter. The blue catfish is an opportunistic predator, consuming any fish or aquatic invertebrates it can find, as well as eggs, small amphibians, and injured or recently deceased animals. Adult I. furcatus are seldom prey for other species due to their size, but hatchlings and juveniles are often food for cormorants, willets, osprey, pelicans, and bald eagles. To deter predators, this species has serrated barbs along their dorsal and pectoral fins, each laced with a particularly painful toxin.

Though they can be difficult prey for other animals, the blue catfish is a popular target for fishermen, and for good reason; they're the largest species of catfish in North America. Adults can easily reach a length of 65 in (170 cm) and a weight of 165 lb (75 kg). As indicated by their name, most individuals are grey or blue, with a lighter underbelly. This species also lacks scales, a common characteristic of catfish, and the face is framed by long whisker-like barbels that help it detect nearby food.

While generally solitary, blue catfish aren't territorial, and tend to ignore each other until the mating season. Reproduction begins in April and continues until June, during which time males attract a female by building a nest and releasing attractive pheromones. Once a female has selected a male, she lays between 4,000-8,000 eggs per kilogram of bodyweight in his nest (i.e. if the female weighs 2 kg, she may lay between 8,000-16,000 eggs). The male then disperses sperm over the eggs. Following fertilization, the male chases away the female and guards the nest for about a week, at which time the eggs hatch. The hatchlings, also known as fry, stay close together in schools for several weeks before growing large enough to disperse. It will take them a further 5 years for them to reach maturity; on average individuals live about 10 years, but can live as long as 25.

Conservation status: The blue catfish is considered Least Concern by the IUCN. Within its native range, populations face minor threats from dams and droughts. Where it has been introduced, the species is considered invasive due to its voracious appetite.

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Photos

Missouri Department of Conservation

NOAA

Earl Nottingham

#blue catfish #Siluriformes #Ictaluridae #ictalurids #catfish #ray finned fish #bony fish #fish #freshwater fauna #freshwater fish #rivers #river fish #lakes #lake fish #north america #southern north america

[herpsandbirds]

Do you have any cool facts about Missouri wildlife?

I'd love to share something with my Midwestern friends, and thank you for always updating this blog!

I don't know if i have any Missouri animal facts per se... but I can share some of the state symbols with everyone.

We moved around a lot when we first came to the U.S. and we lived briefly in Kansas City. I have great memories of going to the Ozarks at Christmas time (near Lake of the Ozarks). I specifically remember following woodpeckers and deer around the forest in the snow.

SOME MISSOURI STATE SYMBOLS:

STATE BIRD: Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), family Turdidae, order Passeriformes, found across much of the central and Eastern U.S., SE Canada, and NW Mexico

Changes in land use lead to drastic declines in Eastern Bluebirds after the early 1900s. They have recovered in many places, due to "bluebird trails", reestablishing appropriate habitat and nest box campaigns for public and private property.

Find out more: NestWatch | Eastern Bluebird - NestWatch

Blue birds are in the thrush family, Turdidae, along with American Robins.

They eat mainly worms, insects, and other small invertebrates (but also take berries for part of the year).

Bluebirds are cavity nesters, nesting in tree holes usually, but will readily take to properly constructed and placed nest boxes.

Males (pictured) are brighter blue, and females are a more muted and faded blue or bluish gray.

photograph by Keith Kennedy

STATE AQUATIC ANIMAL: American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), family Polyodontidae, order Acipenseriformes, found in various parts of the Mississippi River basin

This species is the only member of this family that still exists. They are most closely related to sturgeons. This order, Acipenseriformes, is considered one of the most evolutionarily primitive groups of ray finned fishes.

They do not have scales, and their skeleton is mostly cartilaginous.

They are filter feeders. Their heads and rostrums are covered with thousands of sensory receptors, which help them locate zooplankton swarms.

They are considered "vulnerable" due to overfishing, habitat degradation and destruction, and pollution.

photograph via: US Fish & Wildlife Service

STATE ENDANGERED ANIMAL: Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), family Cryptobranchidae, eastern United States

The largest salamander in the Americas, it grows to a total maximum length of up to 40 cm (15.7 in). 

Though nationally it is considered to be just "vulnerable", in some states (like Missouri), it is "endangered".

photograph by Mark Tegges

STATE REPTILE: Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene triunguis), family Emydidae, found in the South-central and Southeastern U.S.

This specie shas been considered to be a subspecies of the Eastern Box Turtle, T. carolina (and still is by some herpetologists).

These turtles are terrestrial, but are not closely related to tortoises. They are in the same family as aquatic sliders, pond turtles, cooters, map turtles, and painted turtles.

photograph by Noppadol Paothong

STATE FISH: Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), family Ictaluridae, order Siluriformes, found in freshwater habitats in the eastern and southern US, southern Canada, and northern Mexico

They are widely caught, and have been introduced into waterways in other parts of North America and around the world. (In some places they are considered an invasive species).

photograph via: Missouri Dept. of Conservation

photograph by Brian.gratwicke 

#Acipenseriformes #paddlefish #fish #ichthyology #box turtle turtle reptile #herpetology #bluebird #thrush #bird #ornithology #north america #hellbender #salamander #amphibian #animals #nature #catfish

[gasolineweirdo]

#my answer is proooobably centrarchidae but leuciscidae & catostomidae r super strong contenders #esocidae too

[fishfem]

is ictalurid something related to fish? it's such an aesthetically pleasing word.

yes!! isnt it? it refers to a member of the family ictaluridae, a group of catfish native to north america. it includes most you'd know if you live here (pretty much just excludes the saltwater ones). i like catfish

#congrats anon u are the first person who ever asked

[sail-boat101]

Hoplo Catfish (Megalechis Thoracata) All About The Spotted Hoplo Catfish

All About The Hoplo Catfish Table of Contents Add a header to begin generating the table of contents The Hoplo catfish (Megalechis thoracata) is a ray-finned fish in the Ictaluridae family. They can be found in the upper sections of a number of African rivers, as well as Lake Chad.  Hoplo catfish have a distinct … Hoplo Catfish (Megalechis Thoracata) – All About The Spotted Hoplo Catfish Read More » from https://kayakgonflable.com/spotted-hoplo-catfish/

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A Mexican blindcat! These fish, known as  bagre de muzquiz in Mexico, dwell in caves up to 610 m (2,000 ft) underground, and because there is no light this species no longer have any eyes. Instead they have a highly developed sense of smell, and special nerves called lateral lines that run along the length of their bodies helps them detect motion in the water around them.

(Image: A mexican blindcat (Prietella phreatophila) by Jean Krejca)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

#mexican blindcat #Siluriformes #Ictaluridae #Ictalurids #catfish #ray-finned fish #bony fish #fish #uncharismatic facts

[tynosurf]

Hoplo Catfish (Megalechis Thoracata) All About The Spotted Hoplo Catfish

All About The Hoplo Catfish Table of Contents Add a header to begin generating the table of contents The Hoplo catfish (Megalechis thoracata) is a ray-finned fish in the Ictaluridae family. They can be found in the upper sections of a number of African rivers, as well as Lake Chad.  Hoplo catfish have a distinct … Hoplo Catfish (Megalechis Thoracata) – All About The Spotted Hoplo Catfish Read More » from https://kayakgonflable.com/spotted-hoplo-catfish/

[parasitoidism]

Today I learned that accounts can see when u qrt them on twitter cause I quote retweeted some poll for voting on the best fish and the account that runs it liked it ON MY STUPID EMBARRASSING GAY TWITTER WITH LIKE 10 POSTS IN A ROW ABOUT TF2 someone with a degree in ichthyology saw that shit or at least my pyro icon . I’m sorry

#i mean my @ is a family of catfish so #stan ictaluridae stan bullhead catfish

[outofangband]

Flora and Fauna of Talath Dirnen, the guarded plain and the River Narog

Flora and fauna of Arda masterlist 

Disclaimer: I used both what we can extrapolate is likely indigenous to the region based on descriptions of the landscape and climate as well as my own headcanons and inspirations and reference books on similar habitats as well as books like The Atlas of Middle Earth and The Flora of Middle Earth

I really love working on and researching these! and as always feel free to ask more, even if I've already done a place I'd always enjoy going into more detail of tacking a more specific kind of life there

Given that Tolkien was inspired in his plains and grasslands of a wide variety of places, everywhere from China to Britain to Northern Africa and the US, I’m imagining a wide range of biodiversity here in this plateau especially given the proximity to these two rivers. I don’t think that all of his grasslands have life from all these places necessarily but I do think there is the potential for more biodiversity. 

The Talath Dirnen was a plateau between two great rivers, the river Narog and the river Sirion and located Northeast of Nargothrond. It is described in the book as a mostly open plateau but with hills that were utilized for watch stations and some small forested areas. 

The hills and open plain are made up of a variety of species including apera, Coleanthus,  reed sweet grass, melica, veldtgrass, sages,  weeping alkaligrass, and many species in the daisy family. Wild strawberry and musk strawberry, hawthorn, thistles, and meadowsweet are more possibilities for the more shrub like areas around the hills. 

We don’t know a lot about the climate so it’s difficult to speculate on the forested areas but if I had to guess I’d say they were mostly deciduous ,broad leaved trees. Rain tree and wild berry (the common name for a species) are possibilities. 

River birds like loons, egrets, osprey, herons, cranes, teals and bobwhites nest closer to the banks of the two rivers.  As parts of the river Narog is underground, there are many unique species found there including salamanders like olms, cave amphipods, species of subterranean  Nemacheilidae, Viviparous brotula, and Ictaluridae, and roosting bats as well as a variety of more invertebrates. 

(I’m planning on going into the River and Mouths of Sirion in another post if there’s interest.)

(And I am so tempted to put something like a Paleoparadoxia in one of the rivers but alas I don’t think that quite fits the climate.)

And birds that nest in the flatter grasslands and hills like pheasants, killdeer, meadowlark, grasshopper sparrow, sedge wrens, bobwhites and plover. 

As I said before there are many different places Tolkien took inspiration from in his grassy plateaus so there’s a wide variety of possible wildlife especially as we don’t know much about the climate.  

Anything from different species of Hedgehogs, badgers or foxes (all three have representing species Europe, Northern Africa and Southern Asia where Tolkien was primarily inspired in his grasslands) deer or gazelle, giant ground sloths, at least one species of large wild cat, perhaps creatures like wildebeests occasionally pass through on migration routs. 

#The Silmarillion #Beleriand #Talath Dirnen #Musing and meta

[irradiatedsnakes]

siluriformes ictaluridae ictalurus furcatus

salmoniformes salmonidae brook trout

salmoniformes esocidae chain pickerel

cypriniformes cyprinidae longnose dace

cypriniformes catostomidae white sucker