flathead catfish

Pylodictis olivaris

Catfish Reaching One Hundred Fifty Five Centimeters

Tropical
Lower river
Northern Hemisphere
Regional distribution
Freshwater fish
North America
West Asia
Elongated
Large
Tropical fish

The flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus Pylodictis. Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico, it has been widely introduced and is an invasive species in some areas.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Catfishes
Family: Ictaluridae
Genus: Pylodictis
Maximum length: 155 cm
Water: Freshwater
Body shape: elongated
Distribution: North America: Lower Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins from western Pennsylvania to White-Little Missouri River system in North Dakota, and south to Louisiana in USA; Gulf Slope from Mobile Bay drainage in Georgia and Alabama in USA to Mexico. Transplanted elsewhere in USA.
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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