''Noturus insignis'' (margined madtom) is a small species of North American catfish belonging to the family

Ictaluridae The Ictaluridae, sometimes called ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are an important food source and sometimes fished for sport. The family includes about 51 species, some commonly known as bullheads, madto ...

Description

The margined madtom is yellow to dark gray on the upper side of the body, and a pale shade on the underside. It is slimmer than other members of the family Ictaluridae. It has a square tail and lacks the rays of other tadpole madtoms. The dorsal fin and anal fins are rounded, the chin barbels are pale, and all the other barbels are dark. They are sized from about 10 cm to 13 cm.

Distribution and habitat

The species ranges from

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

drainages southward to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Margined madtoms inhabit clear-water streams, taking shelter among rocks, gravel, and boulders. Its eggs are laid in large quantities, and are guarded by the male parent.

References

* Smith, L. C. The Inland Fishes of New York State. New York: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 1985, pp. 88. * Florida Museum of Natural History entry Noturus Freshwater fish of the United States Fish of the Eastern United States Fish of the Great Lakes Fauna of the Northeastern United States Fauna of the Southeastern United States Fish described in 1836 {{catfish-stub