ICTALURUS CHANNEL-CATS 181 



the free margin rounded. Pectoral spine about equal in length to dorsal; 

 humeral process one half length of pectoral spine. 



FIG. 51 

 Anal and caudal fins of Ictalurus punctatus. 



This is the most abundant of our true catfishes. It is com- 

 monly distributed throughout the state, occurring in 171 of our 

 collections, in all our river basins, and in all our principal classes 

 of situation except the glacial lakes of northeastern Illinois. 

 The young of this species have, however, a much wider range 

 than the adults, and are frequently abundant in headwater 

 streams and creeks in which full-grown individuals are never 

 taken. 



The channel-cat is about equally common in the three sec- 

 tions of the state, and approximately so in the three classes of our 

 streams. The frequency coefficients for rivers of the first and 

 second classes and for creeks are 1.02> 1.6, and 1.37 respectively. 

 In lakes and sloughs it is much less abundant, its frequency 

 ratio in 549 collections from such situations being but .39. It 

 has a decided preference for clear swift waters, but not so general 

 or so strong as to exclude it to any appreciable degree from the 

 lower Illinoisan glaciation. 



It is found throughout the Mississippi Valley, the Gulf and 

 Great Lake regions, and northward to Ontario and Winnipeg, 

 being especially abundant in the Red River at the latter place. 

 Southward it extends to the Alabama River and the Florida 

 peninsula, Louisiana, Texas, and the rivers of northern Mexico. 



This fish is often known by fishermen as the " fiddler" or 

 "blue Fulton," but anglers on the upper Illinois and the Fox 

 usually refer to it as the " channel-cat. " It is seldom taken of 

 more than five pounds weight, although specimens are occasion- 

 ally seen weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds. It is "a 

 trimmer, more active fish than any of the related species, 

 * * * living in clearer, more swiftly flowing water, " for these 



