The Brindled Madtom (Noturus miurus) was described in 1877 by famed ichthyologist David Starr Jordan. The name Noturus means "back tail," coming from their connected adipose and caudal (tail) fins; miurus means curtailed, most likely from the short appearance of these fish. Based on the looks of this species, one can assume it's related to the larger and more famous Channel or Flathead Catfish. The main characters that distinguishes them from their big cousins are the rounded tail fin and connected adipose fin (see pictures). The Brindled Madtom also only reaches a maximum length of roughly 5 inches.
These fish mainly occupy streams and rivers, but have been known to reside in lakes. They prefer areas of slow-moving water that are clear and filled with dense vegetation or leaf matter, but rocky habitat will work as well. The vegetation acts as a daytime hiding place and foraging grounds for when they search for food.
Like other catfish, the Brindled Madtom is most active at night when they can forage and are least likely to be eaten. Predation on these micro-catfish is tough though, because they possess a painful venom in their dorsal and pectoral spines. When alarmed, they lock their spines in place to prevent a potential predator from being able to swallow them, but if that fails then the venom is released. Known aquatic predators of the Brindled Madtom include Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, as well as the Longnose Gar!
Picture Credit: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
The primary forage is aquatic insect larvae from Mayflies and Caddisflies, along with small crustaceans. Their taste buds are outside of the body on their barbels, or "whiskers", which are utilized to detect prey items. They'll cruise over the stream floor sensing for food and then sift through leaf litter or in rock crevices. If insects aren't available they have been known to eat the vegetation within the stream.
The spawning season for Brindled Madtoms occurs in the late spring to early summer when water temperatures begin to rise. Males develop large muscles on their heads, their lips protrude, and they become drab in color compared to the non-breeding males. Nests are formed in crevices under rocks, in leaf piles, or inside of drink bottles that litter the stream. Brindled Madtoms only spawn once in their lifetime and females reach sexual maturity at 1 year, while males develop at 2 years.
The range for Brindled Madtoms spans from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana and as far west as Kansas. The image from FishMap shows what watersheds Brindled Madtoms currently occur in (grey) and where they have historically been found (red). They are currently threatened or endangered in the states of Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. This species is intolerant of pollutants and sensitive to siltation, turbidity, and altered stream flows.
The best way to observe these tiny fish is to go out at night or low-light hours with flashlights and watch for them to come swimming out from their hiding places. These micro-catfish also make for great aquarium species since they won't outgrow the tank. The only downside to having them as a pet is that they won't come out until feeding time or whenever the lights are low/off. Just remember to always use caution when handling these fish, because one wrong move and they will make sure you never forget them!
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