I was trying to catch some nice gills today, and got an odd surprise. A tiny catfish! About 2 1/2 inches! Hard to tell species for me, because of size, but I think it's a channel. I'm sure it's not a flat-head, because his upper jaw sticks out further than his bottom jaw. Any ideas?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...e=3&theater

Let's try the pic again...

Yellow mudcat.

Really??? I thought all yellow / mudcat / flat-heads had a lower jaw stick out past upper jaw. I was always told that's the easiest way to tell them from channel / blues.

Am I missing something?

Looks like a mudcat to me. When I first started catching those I also thought I was into small flatheads.

A flat head and mudcat are two different fish. I am 100% sure it's a mudcat.

Not trying to challenge you, just trying to understand... but here's what I've found:

thefreedictionary dot com =
flat′head cat′fish
n.
a yellow and brown catfish, Pylodictis olivaris, common in the central U.S., having a flattened head and a projecting lower jaw. Also called mudcat.

...
wildlifedepartment dot com =
Flathead catfish... Also called the �yellow cat,� �mud cat� and
�Opelousas catfish.�

...
TPWD = Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) Other Names Yellow Cat, Opelousa Cat, Pied Cat, Mississippi Cat, Mud Cat, Shovelhead Cat


I'm confused. Please explain the differences. Any sources would be helpful too.

my vote was baby bullhead

Kind of looks like a Mud Cat to me also. However I could be wrong.

Bullhead if I had a guess. Especially if you caught it in a pond..... Little bait thieves.


Here are a couple I have caught, not sure what kind of mud cat but something to compare.
Watch those barbs on their fins they hurt!

Most small Channels I have seen have black dots. I think mudcat as well.

They bite pretty hard, too. I found out the hard way.

Plus #1.

Well, the aquatic biologist at Texas Freshwater Fisheries identified this little booger as a "yellow bullhead". I was not aware that, in some areas, people call bullheads "mudcat". In my area, "mudcat" is just another term for flatheads.

So, anyway, looks like you guys were right!

I think I'm gonna use this guy as my first fish in the "Texas Native Species" home aquarium that I've always wanted!

Thanks for all the input.

Thanks for the I.D. Good job.