Yaqui catfish
Ictalurus pricei, the Yaqui catfish, is a species of North American freshwater catfish native to Mexico and Arizona.
I. pricei was named in honour of William W. Price.
Ov
OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
I
starts withThe coloration of the Yaqui catfish is dark gray to black dorsally, and white to grayish beneath. The barbels of the catfish are jet-black except on the chin, where they are gray to whitened. The Yaqui catfish body is usually profusely speckled. A reddish coloration on the catfish is prominent beneath the head, as well as on the fins and tail. The adult size is up to 57.0 centimetres (22.4 in). The spines on the pectoral and dorsal fins are shorter than those of a channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) of similar size.
The Yaqui catfish historically occurred in San Bernardino Creek as far up as San Bernardino Ranch, Arizona. An introduced population of catfish existed in the Monkey Springs Reservoir system near Patagonia, Arizona, from 1899 until the 1950s. The stock presumably came from the Rio Sonora basin of Sonora, Mexico, where the species still lives. A small population of 350 fish has been reintroduced into the Rio Yaqui on the northernmost portion of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge in November 1997.
Yaqui catfish are found primarily in ponds or streams, primarily in larger rivers, but also in small streams, where they prefer quiet, clear pools. The catfish are most common in larger rivers in areas of medium to slow currents over sand/rock bottoms. Streams flow intermittently in the dry season, and the catfish seeks refuge in permanent, often spring fed pools.
Yaqui catfish survived in San Bernardino Creek until spring flows diminished because of groundwater pumping causing the creek to dry up. The remaining habitat at San Bernardino Creek was severely trampled by livestock, making it uninhabitable. The catfish were introduced in 1899 into the Santa Cruz River system (in a reservoir fed by Monkey Spring), where they persisted until the 1950s. A small population of 350 fish has been reintroduced into the Rio Yaqui on the northernmost portion of the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge in November 1997, but outside the San Bernardino refuge, they have become extinct from United States waters.
