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Garold W. Sneegas (1) Daryl Coldren (1) Marshal Hedin (1)

Description: The body is slender, and the mouth is terminal with equal jaws. The rear edge of the pectoral spine has large teeth. The caudal fin edge is straight or slightly rounded. The anal fin has 17-22 rays. Habitat: Inhabits rocky riffles, runs, and flowing pools of clear creeks and small rivers. Rarely found in springs and along wave-swept margins of large impoundments. Colouration: The Slender Madtom has black borders on light yellow fins. Fin borders are blackest in clear streams and may be only dusky in colour in turbid water. The body is yellow-brown to gray-black above and light yellow below. There is a large light yellow spot on the nape and a smaller one on the rear of the dorsal fin base. Aquarium Care: The Madtoms are well suited to aquarium life. Provide river gravel and smooth rounded stones for hiding places during the day. A power filter at one end of the tank will provide the conditions of a flowing stream for these catfish. Can be housed with other North American fishes such as minnows, darters and shiners. Diet: Feeds on aquatic insect immatures (midges, mayflies, caddisflies) and small crustacea (isopods, amphipods, copepods). In the aquarium they like most meaty food, such as cut-up earth worms, frozen blood worm and prawns. They will also take tablet and pellet foods. A varied diet will keep them in optimum health.

Slender madtom

None

Ictaluridae

North America: Green, Cumberland and Tennessee River drainages in central Kentucky to northern Alabama, USA; upper Mississippi River basin from southern Wisconsin and southern Minnesota to Ozark and Ouachita Highlands of Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma in USA.

12.0cm. (4¾ins)

16-23°C (59-73°F)

6.5-7.2.

Etnier, D.A. and W.C. Starnes 1993 The fishes of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
Florida Museum of Natural History
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2009. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (05/2012).
Schleser David M.; North American Native Fishes for the Home Aquarium. Barron's Educational Series. Inc. 1998. 169 p.