Catfishing Species Article

Different Types of American Catfish

With so many kinds of catfish in the United States it can be hard to tell one type of American catfish from another. There are various different characteristics of American catfish that should be seen in order to help tell them apart. These include the color, size and markings that are found in different kinds of American catfish.

First, there is the channel catfish. This is also known as the river or spot catfish. This type of American catfish has a longer body and a deep angled tail. It also has an anal fin that is short. The channel catfish also has spotted markings on its sides, and while its back has a blue gray color the sides can be pale or silver blue. The black spots on this kind of American catfish will also fade in larger types of channel catfish. The back is also darker in blue color.

The blue catfish has unique characteristics when compared to other types of American catfish. This kind of American catfish has a large hump on its back when it reaches adulthood, and this hump is between its head and dorsal fin. The anal fin is about thirty rays long, which is longer than what it is with other types of American catfish. The back is blue and gray, and its sides and white and bluish gray. It is also larger than other American catfish in that it has an average size of about fifty five inches.

The white catfish is another common kind of American catfish. It has a rounder tail and head, and it has an anal fin that is about twenty rays long. The whiskers are normally white or yellow on this American catfish, and it can be dark blue or bluish gray on its sides. Its tail can also have a fork-like appearance.

Bullhead catfish is another common type of American catfish. The yellow bullhead catfish has is yellow or black coloration range, and its whiskers are either light pink or yellow. A brown bullhead catfish, on the other hand, will have a slightly shorter anal fin and will have a brown coloration all around. Its whiskers are also brown.

The last kind of American catfish is the flathead catfish. This type of American catfish has a flat head and a larger under-jaw. Its body is lean, and it has a square ended tail. The body is yellowish brown in color all around.

These are among the many different kinds of American catfish that are in the waters around the country. It can be easy to tell what kinds of American catfish are around by looking at the colors and builds of these fish.