# Madtom

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**Madtoms** are freshwater [catfishes](/source/Catfish) ([order](/source/Order_(biology)) Siluriformes) of the [genus](/source/Genus) ***Noturus*** of the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Ictaluridae](/source/Ictaluridae). It is the most species-rich genus of catfish in North America,[1] native to the central and eastern United States, and adjacent parts of Canada.[2] Their fin spines contain a mild venom with a sting comparable to that of a [honey bee](/source/Honey_bee).[1]

Nearly half the species of madtom catfishes were described in a single comprehensive revision of the group. [Morphology](/source/Morphology_(biology)) is very conserved in this genus; most of the species look very similar and telling them apart with the usual [meristic](/source/Meristics) and [morphometric](/source/Morphometrics) characters used to identify species is difficult. The more conspicuously variable attributes of these secretive fishes are features of pigmentation, which also are more difficult to quantify and often vary according to [substrate](/source/Substrate_(marine_biology)) and water quality.[2] These species have small to tiny or fragmented [ranges](/source/Range_(biology)), and aspects of [pigmentation](/source/Pigmentation) are important diagnostic characters of each.[2] Over one-quarter of the recognized species diversity in *Noturus* remains undescribed.[3]

A number of madtom species are narrowly distributed and extremely rare, and thus are at great risk of [extinction](/source/Extinction). *[Noturus trautmani](/source/Noturus_trautmani)* was last sighted in 1957 and declared extinct in 2023.[2][4]

## Species

The 29 recognized species in this genus are:[5]

- *[Noturus albater](/source/Noturus_albater)* [W. R. Taylor](/source/William_Ralph_Taylor), 1969 (Ozark madtom)
- *[Noturus baileyi](/source/Noturus_baileyi)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (smoky madtom)
- *[Noturus crypticus](/source/Noturus_crypticus)* [Burr](/source/Brooks_M._Burr), [Eisenhour](/source/David_J._Eisenhour) & [Grady](/source/James_M._Grady), 2005 (chucky madtom)
- *[Noturus elegans](/source/Noturus_elegans)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (elegant madtom)
- *[Noturus eleutherus](/source/Noturus_eleutherus)* [D. S. Jordan](/source/David_Starr_Jordan), 1877 (mountain madtom)
- *[Noturus exilis](/source/Noturus_exilis)* [E. W. Nelson](/source/Edward_William_Nelson), 1876 (slender madtom)
- *[Noturus fasciatus](/source/Noturus_fasciatus)* Burr, Eisenhour & Grady, 2005 (saddled madtom)
- *[Noturus flavater](/source/Noturus_flavater)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (checkered madtom)
- *[Noturus flavipinnis](/source/Noturus_flavipinnis)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (yellowfin madtom)
- *[Noturus flavus](/source/Noturus_flavus)* [Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque), 1818 (stonecat)
- *[Noturus funebris](/source/Noturus_funebris)* [C. H. Gilbert](/source/Charles_Henry_Gilbert) & [Swain](/source/Joseph_Swain_(academic)), 1891 (black madtom)
- *[Noturus furiosus](/source/Noturus_furiosus)* D. S. Jordan & [Meek](/source/Seth_Eugene_Meek), 1889 (Carolina madtom)
- *[Noturus gilberti](/source/Noturus_gilberti)* D. S. Jordan & [Evermann](/source/Barton_Warren_Evermann), 1889 (orangefin madtom)
- *[Noturus gladiator](/source/Noturus_gladiator)* [Thomas](/source/Matthew_R._Thomas) & Burr, 2004 (piebald madtom)
- *[Noturus gyrinus](/source/Noturus_gyrinus)* ([Mitchill](/source/Samuel_L._Mitchill), 1817) (tadpole madtom)
- *[Noturus hildebrandi](/source/Noturus_hildebrandi)* ([R. M. Bailey](/source/Reeve_Maclaren_Bailey) & W. R. Taylor, 1950) (least madtom)
- *[Noturus insignis](/source/Noturus_insignis)* ([J. Richardson](/source/John_Richardson_(naturalist)), 1836) (margined madtom)
- *[Noturus lachneri](/source/Noturus_lachneri)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (Ouachita madtom)
- *[Noturus leptacanthus](/source/Noturus_leptacanthus)* D. S. Jordan, 1877 (speckled madtom)
- *[Noturus maydeni](/source/Noturus_maydeni)* [Egge](/source/Jacob_J._D._Egge), 2006 (Black River madtom)
- *[Noturus miurus](/source/Noturus_miurus)* D. S. Jordan, 1877 (brindled madtom)
- *[Noturus munitus](/source/Noturus_munitus)* [Suttkus](/source/Royal_Dallas_Suttkus) & W. R. Taylor, 1965 (frecklebelly madtom)
- *[Noturus nocturnus](/source/Noturus_nocturnus)* D. S. Jordan & [C. H. Gilbert](/source/Charles_Henry_Gilbert), 1886 (freckled madtom)
- *[Noturus phaeus](/source/Brown_madtom)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (brown madtom)
- *[Noturus placidus](/source/Noturus_placidus)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (Neosho madtom)
- *[Noturus stanauli](/source/Noturus_stanauli)* [Etnier](/source/David_A._Etnier) & [R. E. Jenkins](/source/Robert_E._Jenkins), 1980 (pygmy madtom)
- *[Noturus stigmosus](/source/Noturus_stigmosus)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (northern madtom)
- *[Noturus taylori](/source/Noturus_taylori)* [N. H. Douglas](/source/Neil_H._Douglas), 1972 (Caddo madtom)
- *†[Noturus trautmani](/source/Noturus_trautmani)* W. R. Taylor, 1969 (Scioto madtom)

## References

1. ["Ichthyology: Ictaluridae, North American (or Bullhead) Catfishes"](https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/catfish/ictaluridae/). *Florida Museum*. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2024.

1. Burr, Brooks M.; Eisenhour, David J.; Grady, James M. (2005). "Two New Species of *Noturus* (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) from the Tennessee River Drainage: Description, Distribution, and Conservation Status". *[Copeia](/source/Copeia)*. **2005** (4): 783–802. [doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2005)005\[0783:TNSONS](https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2005)005%5B0783:TNSONS%5D2.0.CO;2)2.0.CO;2]

1. Near, Thomas J. & Hardman, Michael (2006). ["Phylogenetic Relationships of *Noturus stanauli* and *N. crypticus* (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae), Two Imperiled Freshwater Fish Species from the Southeastern United States"](http://www.yale.edu/eeb/near/29.pdf). *[Copeia](/source/Copeia)*. **2006** (3): 378–383. [doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2006)2006\[378:PRONSA](https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2006)2006%5B378:PRONSA%5D2.0.CO;2)2.0.CO;2]

1. ["21 Species Delisted from the Endangered Species Act due to Extinction | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service"](https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-10/21-species-delisted-endangered-species-act-due-extinction). *FWS.gov*. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-24.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Madtom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madtom) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madtom?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.