Black vs. Brown Bullheads

[silvernes]

What's the difference besides being a little shorter?

My boy was orignally I.D.ed as a black but I'm wondering if he might actually be a brown?

http://nesbettas.com/Sushi.JPG

Just because of his size and shape He's about 12"SL right now, eats everything. If it's not just a discepancy in the text his favourite foods are actually closer to that of the brown as well

He's a big clam fan ;)

Thanks!!
Nes.

[Silurus]

It looks more like a brown now. Bear in mind that it is sometimes very difficult to tell brown bullheads from black.

Are those chin barbels really that pale? Or are they dark at the tips?

[sojapat]

I have previously posted a response to this question, which someone for whatever reason saw fit to delete. I do not consider I am breaking any of the forum rules and I have answered a question that was asked ... perhaps you could tell me why the post was deleted for future reference.

Catfish are consumables in N America
My previous reply to this message is in fact true, I speak from experience.

For those who did not see my response I would say that black variety is better on the pallette.

[silvernes]

That's fine in fact I think that's the reason he was originally caught but the fisherman just thought he was too cute!

I wouldn't eat sushi just because he's been living in a fish tank but other then that yes I've heard they are quite tasty personally I don't like freshwater fish that much though


Unfortuantley this is a pretty old picture, I tried to measure Sushi today & I think I came alot closer to 14" then the 8"ish in this couple-month old photo man this beasti grows fast!!

I wish I had a bigger tank then a 120 for him but he was living in a 30 when I adopted him so don't feel too bad
(one day he'll go into a pond I just need to find someone that keeps BIG fish & won't mind if one dissapears )

Here's another pic of the Sush-man

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y103/n ... dShot3.jpg

You can see in this one again, yes is barbles are white right at the base of his chin but they get darker towards the end

I'm can see they are very difficult to tell appart I was just wondering because Sushi barbles don't seem to be as long as the black in the pic, although he isn't full grown yet either =gulp!=

HFTH!

Nes.

[Sandtiger]

It may sound odd but the way I learned to ID the two in college was to feel for serrations on the spines. Browns will have strong posterior serrations while blacks will weak ones. You may also want to count the anal rays. Brown bullhead will have between 21-24 while blacks will have17-21. Black bullhead also have a white vetical bar at the base of the caudal. Hope this helps.

[Silurus]

You may also want to count the anal rays. Brown bullhead will have between 21-24 while blacks will have17-21.

This doesn't work so well with populations of both species from the eastern United States. Both have 20-24 anal-fin rays.

[Sandtiger]

I always felt for serrations myself rather than count the rays. I read about counting the rays in C. Lavett Smith's "The Inland Fishes of New York State".

[Moontanman]

14 inches? Wow he is growing well, I have a brown, a scientist friend of mine who specializes in NA freshwater fishes identified it. He says sometimes where it was caught is the best way to really identify them. mine was Caught in greenfield lake, in North carolina, no black bullheads in that lake so brown bullhead was the default position..

Mine is very dark, he comes from black water, but the mottling stands out really well when he turns in the light.

yellow bullheads make great aquarium fish due to them being a tad smaller and being willing to ignore light and feed from the surface. I love the bullhead catfishes, great to eat and great to keep! Right now i have some spotted bullheads, F2 generation. I am hoping to breed them this spring...