The Ictaluridae, sometimes called ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are an important food source and sometimes fished for sport. The family includes about 51 species, some commonly known as bullheads, madtoms, channel catfish, and blue catfish.

Aug 24, 2018 · With 49 species, Ictaluridae, the Bullhead Catfish family is the largest family of freshwater fishes endemic to North America. Bullhead catfishes are easy to recognize from other North American freshwater fishes.

Catfishes and Bullheads (Ictaluridae) The family Ictaluridae is sometimes referred to as the “North American” catfishes because their native range is limited to this continent. North American catfish species are generally similar in form. They all have a flattened head and wide mouth.

Ictalurid, any fish of the family Ictaluridae, which includes about 50 species of North and Central American freshwater catfishes. Ictalurids are “typical” catfishes, with large, wide heads, tapering, scaleless bodies, and eight prominent mouth barbels.

Distribution: North America from southern Canada to Guatemala. Head with eight barbels: 2 nasal, 2 maxillary and 4 chin. Scaleless. A spine on anterior edge of dorsal (except in Pritella) and pectoral fins. Dorsal soft rays usually 6. No palatine teeth. About 1.6 m maximum length attained in Ictalurus furcatus and Pylodictis olivaris.

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) belong to the family Ictaluridae, in the large catfish order Siluriformes. The order includes over two thousand species, and most of them inhabit the fresh waters of the tropics.

Read about Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes) on the Animal Diversity Web.

The Ictaluridae, sometimes called ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are an important food source and sometimes fished for sport. The family includes about 51 species, some commonly known as bullheads, madtoms, channel catfish, and blue catfish.

We performed the first combined-data phylogenetic analysis of ictalurids including most living and fossil species. We sampled 56 extant species and 16 fossil species representing outgroups, the seven living genera, and the extinct genus † Astephus long thought to be an ictalurid.

With 48 species, Ictaluridae, the Bullhead Catfish family, is the largest family of freshwater fishes endemic to North America. Bullhead catfishes are easy to recognize from other North American freshwater fishes.