Facts
The stonecat fish can reach up to 12 inches but are typically found around 4-8 inches.
The Noturus flavus can be found in a variety of different colors but generally is found in various shades of brown with a creamy, yellow color underside (Burgess 1997).
An interesting fact about the Noturus flavus is that generally the stonecats from the Great Lakes have a longer lifespan and additionally a fecundity that is relatively lower than usual stonecats. These same stonecats can reach also a larger maximum size than they normally do in different bodies of water (Walsh et al. 1985)!
Stonecat fish differ from madtoms because of their protruding upper jaw and the notch in their tail.
There are actual poison glands in the Noturus flavus. They are located at the bases of their pectoral and dorsal fins. If the poison were to enter your wound it would feel similar to a wasp sting.
Since they are nocturnal, they have incredible hiding places which often times makes it difficult to locate them. At night the fish swim to shallower waters to feed.
Its oily flesh can serve as medicine to a wound if a person were to get stung (Burgess 1997).
The average lifespan of a wild Noturus flavus is 5-9 years.
The stonecat's premaxillary tooth patch has a backward extension from either side which is different from other madtoms (Barrett 2006).