About Noturus flavus Rafinesque, 1818
Noturus flavus, commonly known as the stonecat, is a North American freshwater catfish belonging to the family Ictaluridae. It gets its common name from its habit of hiding near or under stones in fast-moving water. The stonecat has a widespread distribution across North America. It can be found in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, Hudson Bay drainages, and the Mississippi River basin. Its range extends from the Hudson River drainage of New York west to the Red River drainage of Hudson Bay. Within the Mississippi River basin, stonecats occur from Quebec to Alberta, south to northern Alabama and Mississippi, and west to northeastern Oklahoma. In Colorado, stonecats are present in St. Vrain Creek near Longmont and in the Republican River south of Wray. Stonecats live in freshwater environments, ranging from large creeks to small rivers. They are occasionally found in tiny creeks or in rivers as large as the Lower Mississippi. They occupy gently to fast-moving riffle areas with rocky substrates. They spend most of their time in moderate-moving, shallow riffles, but can also be found in deeper water between 2 and 3 meters deep. Stonecats also inhabit natural lakes, such as Lake Erie, where they prefer rock and gravel bars exposed to significant wave action. Female stonecats reach maturity at three to four years of age, with a mean standard length of 4.7 inches. Stonecats form monogamous pairs to breed, and spawn when water temperatures reach 25 °C. Males guard clutches under large, flat rocks in pools or on the crests of riffles. The rocks used for spawning cover average 200 square inches, and are typically found in water with an average depth of 34 inches. The eggs are amber-yellow, very large, and range between 3.5 and 4 mm in diameter. The entire egg mass is surrounded by a gelatinous material. A female stonecat can produce between 200 and 1,200 eggs per year. Stonecats provide parental care: either the male alone or both sexes guard the clutch until the young move to shallower, calmer waters to mature.
