brown bullhead
Ameiurus nebulosus · Ictaluridae · omnivore
Freshwater catfish of North America, introduced to Chile and Puerto Rico, where it is exotic. It turns up on the line of anglers and is raised for food.
Also called: bagre-marmorado, barbú torito, brown bullhead
- maximum
- 55 cm
- record/max.
- 2.7 kg
- depth
- 0–12 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the brown bullhead
who is the brown bullhead
Catfish of the family Ictaluridae, freshwater, that reaches 55 cm and weighs up to 2.7 kg. It lives in pools and slow currents, over soft bottoms, in streams and rivers of small to large size, as well as lakes, reservoirs and lagoons. It tolerates water with low oxygen and high temperatures, and can bury itself in mud to escape poor conditions. It feeds at night on mollusks, insects, leeches, crayfish and plankton. It is edible and is also raised in aquaculture. In some places it is considered a pest.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the brown bullhead; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The nest is built by one or both sexes, and the eggs are cared for by one or both parents.
identification
Scaleless catfish with barbels around the mouth and strong spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. It is often confused with the black bullhead, which looks very similar. Maximum size helps a little: this species reaches 55 cm, and the black bullhead reaches 66 cm.
where found
Native to North America, from Canada to Alabama, and introduced to Chile and Puerto Rico. It is not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Pools and slow currents, over soft bottoms of streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. The source describes the species as a nocturnal feeder.
rules for the brown bullhead
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins can cut. Handle it with care. In some countries it caused ecological impact after its introduction, so do not release it into waters where it does not occur.
in the kitchen
It is edible and is often hot-smoked or cooked in several ways.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00832, b = 3.12; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Ameiurus nebulosus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Ameiurus nebulosusNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: