Teleostei (teleosts) >
Siluriformes (Catfishes) >
Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes)
Etymology: Noturus: Greek, noton = back + Greek, oura = tail; refred to the position of the tail over the back (Ref. 45335); hildebrandi: Named after Samuel F. Hildebrand, a prominent American ichthyologist (Ref. 10294).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Subtropical; 37°N - 30°N
North America: tributaries of Mississippi River from North Fork Obion River in southwestern Kentucky to Homochitto River in southern Mississippi, USA.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 3.7 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Anal soft rays: 12 - 17. Body slender; head flat. Adipose fin white or clear; pectoral fin short with 4-5 large sawlike teeth on rear edge; absence or presence of small teeth on front edge; rear edge of caudal fin straight or with slightly rounded corners; adipose and caudal fins broadly joined with tiny notch between. Color geographically variable. There are 2 subspecies: Noturus hildebrandi latus with shorter head and with 4 white or light yellow oval areas on uniform red-brown to black back; is strongly bicolored with brown to black upper side, white or yellow below. Noturus hildebrandi hildebrandi possesses longer head and prominently blotched color pattern above and almost to belly (Ref. 86798).
Inhabits mixed rock and sand riffles and runs of clear lowland creeks and small rivers. Often found near debris (Ref. 5723, 86798). Feeds on midge and caddis larvae, together with mayfly and stonefly nymphs (Ref. 10294).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00562 (0.00251 - 0.01261), b=3.10 (2.90 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).