Ameiurus nebulosus
(Lesueur 1819)
Family Ictaluridae

Lateral view of a brown bullhead
The brown bullhead pictured above was collected in Alachua County Florida in 2015. It is now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 237817. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The brown bullhead is a member of the North American catfish family. It has dusky to black chin barbels and brown or black mottling or spots along the body. Its anal fin is rounded in outline and has between 19 and 23 rays. This species can be found in pools, backwaters and runs of creeks and small to large rivers. Brown bullheads are common in lakes, oxbows, ponds and impoundments.

Status & distribution

  • Status — Native freshwater
  • Florida Distribution — Western and North Central and Peninsula drainages
  • River Drainages — Perdido River, Escambia River, Blackwater River, Yellow River, Choctawhatchee River, Apalachicola River, Ochlockonee River, minor Gulf tributaries, Suwannee River, Withlacoochee River, Tampa Bay, the Mayakka or Peace River, Lake Okeechobee, Caloosahatchee River, the Everglades, Indian River, St. John’s River and the St. Mary’s River
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