Stonecat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stonecat |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Noturus
|
| Species: |
flavus
|
The stonecat (scientific name: Noturus flavus) is a type of catfish found in freshwater rivers and lakes across North America. It gets its common name because it often hides near or under stones in water that moves quickly.
Contents
What Does a Stonecat Look Like?
Stonecats are small, thin fish with flat heads. They have a special fin called an adipose fin that looks like a keel (the bottom part of a boat) and connects to their tail fin, with only a small dip in between.
Special Spines
Most fish in the catfish family have spines on their back (dorsal) and side (pectoral) fins that can cause irritation if they poke you. But the stonecat has something extra: it has special poison glands, especially at the base of its pectoral spines. If you get poked, it can cause a lot of pain, similar to a wasp sting!
Body Features
Stonecats have an upper jaw that sticks out a bit more than their lower jaw. Their skin is thick and usually yellowish-brown. The sides of their head are more yellow, and their belly is whitish.
Different Forms
There are two main forms of stonecats. In the Cumberland area of Tennessee, some stonecats have two light bars on their neck. In other places, they have a patch instead of bars. Both forms have a white spot near the back of their dorsal fin and another on the top edge of their tail fin.
How Big Do Stonecats Get?
Stonecats are usually about 4 to 8 inches long, but some can grow up to 12 inches. They typically weigh between 0.22 and 1.1 pounds. Most stonecats live for about five to six years.
Where Do Stonecats Live?
Stonecats are found in many places across North America. You can find them in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and rivers that flow into Hudson Bay. They also live throughout the Mississippi River basin, from Quebec in Canada down to northern Alabama and Mississippi in the United States, and west to northeastern Oklahoma. In Colorado, they have been seen in St. Vrain Creek and the Republican River.
Stonecat Habitat and Diet
Where They Live
Stonecats prefer freshwater environments, from large creeks to small rivers. Sometimes they are found in tiny streams or even very large rivers like the Lower Mississippi. They love areas where the water moves gently or quickly, especially if there are lots of rocks on the bottom. They spend most of their time in shallow, moving water, but can also be found in deeper spots (about 6 to 10 feet deep). In natural lakes like Lake Erie, they like rocky and gravelly areas where waves are strong.
What They Eat
Stonecats are bottom-feeders, meaning they look for food on the riverbed. They are opportunistic, which means they eat whatever they can find! They use their sensitive barbels (whisker-like feelers) at night to search for food. Their diet includes many things like insect larvae (such as mayflies), snails, small fish, fish eggs, and even small crustaceans like crayfish. They might also eat some plant material or worms.
Stonecat Reproduction and Life Cycle
Female stonecats are ready to have babies when they are about three to four years old and around 4.7 inches long. When the water temperature reaches about 25°C (77°F), stonecats form pairs to breed.
Nesting and Eggs
The male stonecat guards the eggs under large, flat rocks in calm areas or at the top of fast-moving sections of the river. The rocks they use for nesting are usually quite big, about 200 square inches, and are found in water that is about 34 inches deep.
Stonecat eggs are amber-yellow and quite large, measuring between 3.5 and 4 millimeters across. The entire egg mass is covered in a jelly-like material. A female stonecat can lay anywhere from 200 to 1,200 eggs each year. Both parents, or sometimes just the male, will guard the eggs until the young fish hatch. After hatching, the young stonecats move to shallower, calmer waters to grow up.
Why Are Stonecats Important?
Stonecats are like natural indicators of water quality. This means they can tell us how clean the water is! You won't find stonecats in water that is very polluted or has a lot of mud and dirt. Because of this, they are a valuable indicator species for humans. They can also help us understand water temperature.
The good news is that the stonecat species is not considered threatened or at risk of extinction by the US Endangered Species Act.
See also
In Spanish: Noturus flavus para niños
