Brown Bullhead

Identification

The brown bullhead closely resembles the black bullhead but is slightly larger (up to 55 cm) and lighter in color. The body is brown to olive-brown with a lightly mottled or marbled pattern on the flanks. The barbels on the underside of the head are dark (dark in the black bullhead). Like its relative, the brown bullhead has serrated spines in the pectoral and dorsal fins.

Behavior & ecology

The brown bullhead inhabits the same habitats as the black variant: still, warm water with soft substrate. The species is slightly less tolerant of extreme conditions but still far more resilient than most European species. The brown bullhead is an omnivore that searches the bottom at night for food using its sensitive barbels. Males also guard the nest.

In the Netherlands

Like the black bullhead, this is a North American exotic. With 80 records in the database, it is slightly less common than its black relative. Found in heated waters, ponds, and still polder ditches. Both bullhead species may be under-recorded because they are easily confused with each other.