Neosho Madtom
Encyclopedia
The Neosho madtom, Noturus placidus, is a small North America
n freshwater catfish
. It has been listed as a threatened species in the United States
since 1990, the IUCN lists it as low risk.
The Neosho madtom has features characteristic of all North American catfish, including scaleless skin and a relatively large head with sensory barbels. Adult Neosho madtoms average less than three inches (8 cm) in length. They have a brownish midline stripe and an overall mottled appearance. The light-colored edge of the adipose fin is the best characteristic to distinguish it from similar species.
Neosho madtoms are short-lived fish, only occasionally surviving more than three years. Little is known about the reproductive habits of the Neosho madtom. They are believed to spawn
in June and July. In closely related species, eggs are laid under small stones, and the eggs and sometimes young fish are guarded by a parent. Adults will bury themselves in the gravel during the day and come out to feed at night. Larval, aquatic insects are the major food source of Neosho madtoms. The preferred habitat of adult Neosho madtoms is shallow riffles with loose, uncompacted gravel bottoms. They are occasionally found in areas with sandy bottoms covered with leaf litter. Young Neosho madtoms may be found in deeper pools, downstream from riffles.
Historically, the Neosho madtom was found in the Neosho
, Cottonwood, Spring, and Illinois Rivers
in Kansas
, Missouri
, and Oklahoma
. It is believed to be no longer present in the Illinois River and scattered through the rest of its historic range. In Oklahoma, it is present only in Ottawa and Craig counties. The Neosho madtom has declined due to habitat destruction. Construction of dams, dredging of gravel, and an increase in water demands have contributed to habitat loss. Pollution from cattle feedlot
runoff has adversely affected the fish as well.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n freshwater catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
. It has been listed as a threatened species in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
since 1990, the IUCN lists it as low risk.
The Neosho madtom has features characteristic of all North American catfish, including scaleless skin and a relatively large head with sensory barbels. Adult Neosho madtoms average less than three inches (8 cm) in length. They have a brownish midline stripe and an overall mottled appearance. The light-colored edge of the adipose fin is the best characteristic to distinguish it from similar species.
Neosho madtoms are short-lived fish, only occasionally surviving more than three years. Little is known about the reproductive habits of the Neosho madtom. They are believed to spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
in June and July. In closely related species, eggs are laid under small stones, and the eggs and sometimes young fish are guarded by a parent. Adults will bury themselves in the gravel during the day and come out to feed at night. Larval, aquatic insects are the major food source of Neosho madtoms. The preferred habitat of adult Neosho madtoms is shallow riffles with loose, uncompacted gravel bottoms. They are occasionally found in areas with sandy bottoms covered with leaf litter. Young Neosho madtoms may be found in deeper pools, downstream from riffles.
Historically, the Neosho madtom was found in the Neosho
Neosho River
The Neosho River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in eastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri and Arkansas. The river is about long. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed.- Course :The Neosho's...
, Cottonwood, Spring, and Illinois Rivers
Illinois River (Oklahoma)
The Illinois River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Oklahoma.It rises in the Ozark Mountains in the northwest corner of Arkansas, in Washington County southwest of Fayetteville, near the town of Hogeye. It flows west into northeast Oklahoma, then southwest...
in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. It is believed to be no longer present in the Illinois River and scattered through the rest of its historic range. In Oklahoma, it is present only in Ottawa and Craig counties. The Neosho madtom has declined due to habitat destruction. Construction of dams, dredging of gravel, and an increase in water demands have contributed to habitat loss. Pollution from cattle feedlot
Feedlot
A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...
runoff has adversely affected the fish as well.