Ictiobus
Encyclopedia
Ictiobus, also known as Buffalo fish, is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of freshwater fish common in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is sometimes mistaken for carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...

 because of its flat face and large, silver scales running along the body, though it lacks the whisker-like mouth appendages common to carp. Buffalo fish live in most types of freshwater bodies where panfish are found, such as ponds, creeks, rivers, and lakes.

From a fishermen's point of view, however, the buffalo fish is not a popular game fish because it is difficult to catch. Yet, once on the line, it can put up a good fight. It is an affordable fish that is popular in the southern USA including the Memphis and St. Louis markets.

Species

  • Ictiobus bubalus
    Ictiobus bubalus
    The common name of Ictiobus bubalus is the smallmouth buffalo. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee....

    (Rafinesque, 1818) (Smallmouth buffalo)
  • Ictiobus cyprinellus (Valenciennes
    Achille Valenciennes
    Achille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...

    , 1844)
    (Bigmouth buffalo)
  • Ictiobus labiosus (Meek
    Seth Eugene Meek
    Seth Eugene Meek was an American ichthyologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. He was the first compiler of a book on Mexican freshwater fishes. Together with his assistant, Samuel F. Hildebrand, he produced the first book on the freshwater fishes of Panama.He often collaborated...

    , 1904)
    (Fleshylip buffalo)
  • Ictiobus meridionalis (Günther, 1868) (Usumacinta buffalo)
  • Ictiobus niger (Rafinesque, 1819) (Black buffalo)
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