Geographic Range
Stonecats (
Noturus flavus
) are native to the Neartic region. They occur throughout the upper Mississippi Basin,
much of the Great Lakes drainage, and in the Hudson Bay drainage in the Red River
(Etnier and Starnes, 1993). Their range extends north into some Canadian provinces
such as Ontario and Alberta.
Habitat
Stonecats live in freshwater environments. They are found in large creeks and small
rivers. They occasionally occur in tiny creeks or rivers as large as the lower Mississippi
(Etnier and Starnes, 1993). Stonecats occupy gently- to fast-moving riffle areas
that have a rocky substrate. Stonecats spend the majority of their time in moderate
moving, shallow riffles. They can also be found in deeper water in the 2 to 3 meter
range. Stonecats also occur in natural lakes such as Lake Erie. There they prefer
rock and gravel bars that are subject to a lot of wave action.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- freshwater
- Aquatic Biomes
- benthic
- lakes and ponds
- rivers and streams
- Other Habitat Features
- riparian
Physical Description
Stonecats are tan to gray dorsally and yellowish to white ventrally. The adipose
fin is attached to the back of the stonecat throughout its entire length. The adipose
fin is separated from the caudal fin by a notch. The pectoral fin lacks any posterior
serrae. Anal fin rays number 15 to 18, pectoral fin rays 9 to 11, and pelvic fin
rays 8 to 10. The caudal fin rays number 55 to 67. Stonecats also have a pale margin
outlining the caudal fin. They have a premaxillary band of teeth located on the roof
of their mouth that has backward extensions. This tooth patch is absent in other
species of madtoms.
- Other Physical Features
- ectothermic
- heterothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- poisonous
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
- female larger
Development
In the first year in South Dakota young reached 79 mm. In the third through the fourth
years they averaged 99, 114, and 137 mm.
Reproduction
Stonecats form monogamous pairs for breeding.
- Mating System
- monogamous
Stonecats spawn when water temperatures reach 25 degree C. The female deposits a
jelly like cluster of eggs that number from 100-500 on the underside of flat stones
or other, similar structures. The male is thought to guard the nest until the young
hatch. Some believe that the female also may play a role in guarding the eggs. The
adults will guard the nest until the young are ready to leave.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
The nest is guarded by what is thought to be the male, but some believe the female
also takes part in guarding the young. It is more commonly understood that the male
does all or most of the guarding of the young from the time the eggs are laid until
the time the eggs hatch. The male continues to guard the fry until they leave the
nest.
- Parental Investment
- male parental care
- female parental care
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
protecting
- male
-
protecting
-
pre-independence
-
protecting
- male
-
protecting
Lifespan/Longevity
The lifespan of stonecats in captivity is not known. In an Illinois population the
lifespan was only 5 to 6 years. The max reported age was 7 years.
Behavior
Both adult and juvenile stonecats exhibit nocturnal behavior. They spend their days
under rocks and woody structure where it is dark. They come out at night to feed
in the shallows.
- Key Behaviors
- natatorial
- nocturnal
- motile
- sedentary
Home Range
No information was present on home range of stonecats. Due to the sedentary behavior
of stonecats, it would leave one to believe that their home range would be small in
size.
Communication and Perception
Stonecats like the other members of the catfish family, have barbels and dermal taste
buds that are used for the location of food. Dermal taste buds are located on the
edipermis of the fish rather than the mouth.
Food Habits
Stonecats are primarily invertivores. The young will feed upon the larvae of mayflies
(
Ephemeroptera
), stoneflies (
Plecoptera
) caddisflies (
Trichoptera
), and midges (
Chironomidae
). Adult stonecats will feed on mainly mayfly larvae and crayfish (
Astacoidea
), but they will also take small darters and minnows.
- Primary Diet
- carnivore
- Animal Foods
- fish
- insects
- aquatic crustaceans
Predation
The main predators of stonecats are larger freshwater fishes. Humans often catch
stonecats and use them as bait for other freshwater species of fish.
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
Stonecats are neither commensal nor mutualist partners with other species. However
they are known to host one mussel species, (
Epioblasma obliquata obliquata
).
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Stonecats serve as indicators of water quality. They are not present in highly polluted
areas or areas with a large amount of siltation. Stonecats are a very valuable indicator
species to humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
The only problem stonecats may pose for a human is their ability to puncture a person's
skin and inflict a painful sting, similar to a wasp. They have a gland at the base
of their pectoral and dorsal fins that was thought to secrete a toxin. Recent research
shows that the membrane surrounding the spine is responsible for the toxin. The effect
of the basal gland is unknown.
- Negative Impacts
-
injures humans
- bites or stings
Conservation Status
The IUCN Red List, CITIES appendices, and the US Endangered Species Act list the status of Noturus flavus as not threatened or no special status, meaning that there is no threat of this species going extinct.
Other Comments
Stonecats are good indicators of smallmouth bass (
Micropterus dolomieu
) populations. It seems if there is a good population of stonecats in the area, there
will also be a good number of smallmouth bass.
Additional Links
Contributors
Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Daniel Barrett (author), Eastern Kentucky University, Sherry Harrel (editor, instructor), Eastern Kentucky University.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- freshwater
-
mainly lives in water that is not salty.
- benthic
-
Referring to an animal that lives on or near the bottom of a body of water. Also an aquatic biome consisting of the ocean bottom below the pelagic and coastal zones. Bottom habitats in the very deepest oceans (below 9000 m) are sometimes referred to as the abyssal zone. see also oceanic vent.
- riparian
-
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
- ectothermic
-
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
- heterothermic
-
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- poisonous
-
an animal which has a substance capable of killing, injuring, or impairing other animals through its chemical action (for example, the skin of poison dart frogs).
- monogamous
-
Having one mate at a time.
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- external fertilization
-
fertilization takes place outside the female's body
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- male parental care
-
parental care is carried out by males
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- natatorial
-
specialized for swimming
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- carnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats meat
- piscivore
-
an animal that mainly eats fish
- insectivore
-
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
References
Branson, B., D. Batch. 1974. Fishes of the Red River Drainage, Eastern Kentucky . Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky.
Cummings, K., G. Watters. 2004. "Mussel Host Database" (On-line). The Ohio State University Division of Molluscs. Accessed November 01, 2005 at http://128.146.250.63/Musselhost/FMPro .
Eddy, S., J. Underhill. 1974. Northern Fishes . Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Etnier, D., W. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee . Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press.
Hammerson, G. 2005. "NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life." (On-line). NatureServe Explorer. Accessed October 30, 2005 at http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Noturus%20flavus .
Kline, M., R. Morgan. 2000. "Maryland DNR" (On-line). Current Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Preferences of the Stonecat (Noturus flavus) in Maryland. Accessed November 01, 2005 at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/streams/pubs/ea-00-7_stonecat.pdf .
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 2002. "Stonecat Madtom" (On-line). Accessed October 31, 2005 at http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/dnap/rivfish/stonecat.html .
Page, L., B. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Trautman, M. 1981. The Fishes of Ohio . Columbus: Ohio State University Press.