User:Bloomhusky2023/Flathead catfish

Article: Flathead catfish

Sport fishing for flathead catfish using either rod and reel, limb lines, or bare hands (noodling) can be a pastime. Anglers target this species in a variety of waterways, including small rivers (barely large enough for a canoe), large rivers (such as the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Colorado Rivers), and reservoirs. A common element of flathead catfish location is submerged wood cover such as logs and rootwads which often collect at bends in rivers. A good flathead spot usually also includes relatively deep water compared to the rest of a particular section of river, a moderate amount of current, and access to plentiful baitfish such as river herring, shad, carp, drum, panfish, or suckers. Anglers targeting large flathead catfish usually use stout tackle such as medium-heavy or heavy action rods from 6–10 ft (1.8–3.0 m) in length with large line-capacity reels and line ranging from 20–80 pounds-force (89–356 N) test breaking strength. Generally large live baits are preferred such as river herring, shad, sunfish (such as bluegill), suckers, carp, goldfish, drum, and bullheads ranging from 5–12 in (13–30 cm) in length.

Added Information: Flathead catfish are targeted by fisherman for several different reasons. These including the use of the catfish as food, the ability of these fish to grow to large sizes, and the fighting potential for these fish.

Reference:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3628409.pdf?casa_token=SfMBcXDV4h4AAAAA:nmavJKIWRpa0_ZqisUJdvNLZlvNLauSR3qYif4y0OpA9A3c6jFCgvScR5dKCiD6ixljo_bk40ZxNUcR8GvDhoxv1N6oTwuM9tcMGDXUH1kHDGTt6tw

Lead:
In this sandbox I added information into the article on flathead catfish. In the Breeding section of the article, I added information on the role of female and male flathead catfish during spawning as well as optimal conditions and habitat for flathead catfish to spawn. In the Diet section I added information about the shift in diet of these catfish and why it occurs as well as information on the average consumption relative to temperatures. In the Distribution and Habitat section I discussed the habitats that these fish prefer and I noted that they are a non-migratory fish species. In the Diel Movement section I added information on the movement of these fish in a 24 hour period and some factors which can cause for an increase or decrease in their movement.

Breeding
Spawning of P. olivaris occurs in late June and early July, and the nests are made in areas with submerged logs and other debris. The males, which also build the nests, fiercely and tirelessly defend and fan the clutch. The size of the clutch varies proportionately to the size of the female; an average of 2,640 eggs per kilogram of fish are laid.

Added information: On average each female flathead lays a clutch of roughly 100,000 eggs. The role of the male catfish in fanning the clutch is to provide oxygen to the eggs through the use of his fins. The spawning of these catfish occurs when the temperature reaches roughly 66 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the flow of the stream or river becomes steady. When flathead catfish reach the ages of three to six years old they are considered sexually mature and the catfish are able to start reproducing. As the current of the river or stream erodes away some of the river bed it creates natural depressions, these depressions tend to be where flathead catfish build their nests.

Diet
The flathead catfish prefers live prey. It is a voracious carnivore and feeds primarily on fishes, insects, annelid worms, and crustaceans. It also feeds on other small catfish and almost anything that moves and makes vibration. They are known to eat crayfish, American gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), insects and larvae, channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), drum (Aplodinotus grunniens), other flatheads, green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), and carp. Insect larvae are the major prey type until an individual reaches approximately 100 mm (3.9 in) in total length, at which point the diet expands to include crayfish and small fishes. Individuals above 250 mm (9.8 in) in length feed almost exclusively on other fish.

Added Information: At about the age of two years old flathead catfish have a diet mainly consisting of crayfish however, their use of crayfish slowly declines until about the age of six years old. When the catfish are around six years old they completely cut crayfish out of their diet and they eat almost entirely a diet consisting of fish, this is called a piscivorous diet. Flathead catfish experience this diet change from the ages of two to six for one of two reasons, those being either a distribution to a habitat that doesn't contain crayfish or a change in diet because of the increase in size of the catfish. The flathead catfish of six years or older that eat mainly fish have a seasonal diet shift, meaning they eat different kinds of fish depending on the time of year. Flathead catfish are a warm water species because of this the average consumption of juvenile flathead catfish increases with increasing temperature, and their average consumption decreases with decreasing temperatures. These catfish have a large increase in feeding at roughly 66 degrees Fahrenheit and their appetite remains increased up to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Their appetite starts to decrease at 60 degrees Fahrenheit, most flatheads stop eating at 52 degrees Fahrenheit, and no catfish ate any food at or below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Distribution and habitat
The native range of the flathead catfish includes a broad area west of the Appalachian Mountains encompassing large rivers of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio basins. The range extends as far north as Canada, as far west as Texas, and south to the Gulf of Mexico including northeastern Mexico. The flathead catfish cannot live in full-strength seawater (which is about 35 parts per thousand or about 35 grams of salt per liter of water), but it can survive in 10 ppt for a while and thrive in up to about 5 ppt.

Added Information: Flathead catfish are a benthic fish species meaning they are a ground fish which prefers to lay on the bottom of a body of water. These catfish prefer medium to large sized rivers with relatively warm water and stable slow moving currents. Flathead catfish prefer habitats with vertical banks, meaning the bank of land slightly overhangs the water and an area with fallen trees or woody debris. In specific, these catfish prefer a woody debris depth of at least 3 meters and a diameter of woody debris of at least 3 meters. Flathead catfish tend to have a home range of less than 2 kilometers, this means that they are a non-migratory species of fish.

Diel Movement
Added information: Diel movement is the migration of an animal during a 24 hour period. Flathead catfish have a change in their diel movement depending on the season. In the spring and summer, flathead catfish have an increase in their movement activity from midnight to dawn, with their diel movement being the greatest in summer. While in the fall and winter, flathead catfish don't show any increase movement within a 24 hour time frame, with their diel movement being the smallest in the winter. Flathead catfish have a diel movement which is the largest in the summer time because of their spawning which takes place from late spring to early summer. While in the winter they have the smallest diel movement because they are waiting for winter to end which is called the overwintering phase.