Bullhead is a group of North American freshwater catfishes. Bullheads are also known as horned pouts because the eight barbels (fleshy whiskerlike growths) near their mouths somewhat resemble horns. Like all catfishes, bullheads do not have scales.
Bullheads are important game fish. They are found near the bottoms of quiet ponds and lakes, and slow-moving streams and rivers. They can live in waters that have low amounts of oxygen, where other species (kinds) of fish might not survive. Bullheads spawn in the spring and summer, laying their eggs in nests dug in the mud or in roots or plants. Young bullheads swim in dense schools.
The brown bullhead, the black bullhead, and the yellow bullhead are the best-known species. The brown bullhead is usually yellowish-brown, olive, or bluish-black with spots along its sides. It grows to about 21 inches (53 centimeters) long and has dark barbels. The black bullhead is similar to the brown bullhead but smaller and without spots. It measures about 15 inches (38 centimeters) long. The yellow bullhead is usually olive or brownish above and yellow underneath. It grows about 15 inches long and has yellow or white barbels. The brown bullhead and the yellow bullhead are native to the eastern half of the United States and southern Canada. The black bullhead is native to waters from southern Ontario and the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. All three species have been introduced into many other areas.
