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Body Form or Style: ● Swim / Locomotion Style: ● Mouth Position: ● Citation: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Anguilla_rostrata Title: Freshwater fishes Species #: 3 Common Name: StoneCat Scientific Name: Noturus Flavus Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinoperygii
Order: Silifuriforms
Family: Anguillida
Geography / Habitat: Stonecat are native to the Neartic region. They occur throughout the upper Mississippi Basin, much of the Great Lakes drainage. Stonecats live in freshwater environments. They are found in large creeks and small rivers. They occasionally occur in tiny creeks or rivers as large as the lower Mississippi (Etnier and Starnes, 1993). Stonecats occupy gently- to fast-moving riffle areas that have a rocky substrate. Stonecats spend the majority of their time in moderate moving, shallow riffles. They can also be found in deeper water in the 2 to 3 meter range. Stonecats also occur in natural lakes such as Lake Erie. There they prefer rock and gravel bars that are subject to a lot of wave action. (Branson and Batch, 1974; Etnier and Starnes, 1993; Hammerson, 2005; Kline and Morgan, 2000)
Life Strategy: Stonecats form monogamous pairs for breeding Food / Feed Strategy: Stonecats are primarily invertivores. The young will feed upon the larvae of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera) caddisflies (Trichoptera), and midges (Chironomidae). Adult stonecats will feed on mainly mayfly larvae and crayfish (Astacoidea), but they will also take small darters and minnows. (Etnier and Starnes, 1993; Hammerson, 2005)