Yellow bullhead

Species of fish

The yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis) is a species of bullhead catfish, a ray finned fish that lacks scales.

The yellow bullhead is a medium sized member of the catfish family. It is typically yellow olive to slate black on the back and may appear mottled depending on its habitat. The sides are lighter and more yellowish, while the underside of the head and body are bright yellow, yellow white, or bright white. The rear edge of its caudal fin is rounded. The anal fin has anywhere between 24 and 27 constituent rays, more than that of other bullheads. The yellow bullhead can be easily distinguished from the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) and black bullhead (A. melas) by the group of white barbels or "whiskers" under its chin. Yellow bullheads are medium sized bullheads that rarely grow larger than , but can reach up to Yellow bullheads may grow to a maximum total length (TL) of , though they are more commonly TL, and can live up to 12 years.

The yellow bullhead is a voracious scavenger that will almost eat anything. It locates prey by brushing the stream bottom with its barbels. Taste buds on the barbels tell the yellow bullhead whether or not contact is made with edible prey. They typically feed at night on a variety of plant and animal material, both live and dead, most commonly consisting of worms, insects, snails, minnows, clams, crayfish, other small aquatic organisms, plant matter, and decaying animal matter. Compared to black and brown bullheads, yellow bullheads consume more aquatic vegetation. They have also been introduced to the West and can be caught as far up as northern Washington state.

Yellow bullheads are considered a minor game fish, and their meat is considered sweet and has a good flavor, but the meat can become soft in summer. They are not as sought after as other catfish. They can be caught on natural baits such as worms, crickets or chicken liver fished on the bottom at night.