Species Facts
Science Name:
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Ictiobus bubalus
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Description
Ictiobus and bubalus are both Greek words meaning "bull fish" and "buffalo,"
respectively. The back and sides are light brown or otherwise dark with a
coppery or greenish tent. The belly is pale yellow to white. Smallmouth buffalo
scales are large, and the species sometimes be confused with common carp by the
novice. However, buffalo lack the barbels of carp. Smallmouth buffalo, as
opposed to bigmouth buffalo, have a distinctive sucker-type mouth, oriented
downward.
Although the life history of smallmouth buffalo is not well understood, spawning
seems to occur in the spring when water temperatures reach 60-65°F. Eggs are
broadcast over weeds and mud bottom, hatching in one to two weeks. This species
is primarily bottom feeding which is why insect larvae, algae, detritus, and
sand often make up significant portions of the fishes gut contents.
The native range of the smallmouth buffalo includes larger tributaries of the
Mississippi River from Montana east to Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The
species is also found in Gulf slope drainages from Alabama to the Rio Grande
River drainage.
Tips for Fishing
Anglers do not frequently catch this species due to its small mouth, even though
the smallmouth buffalo is very abundant in the Ohio River. Most are taken
accidentally while fishing live bait on the bottom.