If not a Channel Cat, then what?

[Timberwolf]

I have a new cat that we pulled out of the Yakima River yesterday that has us a little confused. Everything about it says that says Channel Cat, but everything I've read about them shows a deeply forked caudal fin, which he does not nave any sign of. he is now only about 3 inches long and enjoying the dense growth in my 37 gallon Eclipse tank, until I can set up a more appropriately sized tank, or maybe even a pond for him. He seems to love Tetramin granules and bloodworms (freeze-dried), so feeding him is not an issue in any way. Are the caudal forks something that are likely to develop as he matures, or do I have something else altogether? I will post a picture or two as soon as he comes back into the open.

[MatsP]

Sounds like it may be another

Ictaluridae

...

--
Mats

[Silurus]

There are only three species of bullheads (black, brown, yellow) found in the Columbia River drainage besides the channel catfish. If your fish doesn't otherwise look like a bullhead, I'd say you probably had an aberrant channel cat.

[Timberwolf]

I figured it out (thanks, of course, to MatsP and Silurus)! My "Channel Cat" is, instead, a

Ameiurus natalis

, or Yellow Bullhead Catfish. I've really been happy with the little guy and it looks like he won't bust out of my tanks any time soon, so now I'm even happier with him. he's found a cave that he likes right in front of the tank, so, shy or not, I can see him anytime and he seems to really like my overly-thick vegetation.

[MatsP]

Still needs a pretty large tank - about 3ft x 6ft base area and at least 2ft tall - that's a 250 gallon tank - not small by any means.

--
Mats

[Viktor Jarikov]

Still needs a pretty large tank - about 3ft x 6ft base area and at least 2ft tall - that's a 250 gallon tank - not small by any means.

eventually, when adult. Mats, do you mean "ideally" or as a minimum? (yeah, I know, ideally, an Olympic size swimming pool is the best)

[MatsP]

That would be an "adequate minimum". Obviously, nearly all fish will live in quarters much larger than the minimum, and it is sometimes possible to keep fish in somewhat smaller a tank with careful maintenance.

The rule I follow is a 4L x 2L x 2L - some people will recommend slightly smaller than that, and others will suggest much larger. This rule applies to fairly sedate fish - for very active fish, larger quarters are needed for obvious reasons.

--
Mats