Flathead Catfish Missouri Department of Conservation

The flathead catfish has a broad, flattened head with small eyes on top. The lower jaw projects beyond the upper jaw. It occurs in most of the large streams of Missouri, preferring places with a slow current. Missouri catfishes have smooth, scaleless skin and barbels (“whiskers”) around the mouth. The flathead catfish is distinguished by its broad, flattened head with small eyes on top, and the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper jaw. The tail fin is mostly squared off, with a slight notch (it is not deeply forked), and the anal fin is rounded, with 14–17 rays. The body is often strongly mottled with brown or black. The back and sides are pale yellow to light brown or olive, mottled with dark brown or black (mottling is often poorly developed in adults from turbid water). The belly is pale yellow or creamy white. The tail fin is dark brown or black except for the upper lobe. The other fins are similar in color to nearby parts of the body. Young individuals are darker and more boldly marked than adults. Similar species: There are 17 species of catfishes in Missouri. This is the only one with all the following characteristics: The adipose fin is a free lobe, widely separate from the tail fin. The tail fin is not forked. The lower jaw projects far beyond the upper jaw (except in the smallest young). The upper tip of the tail fin is lighter in color than the rest of the fin. The pad of teeth in the upper jaw has a backward extension on each side.

Flathead Catfish Missouri Department of Conservation

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