Habitat and Geography

Noturus flavus can be found in freshwater such as streams, rivers and lakes mainly throughout the Midwest.

Specific locations include: Mississippi River drainage, the Great Lakes, Hudson River, Red River, Canada, Eastern Highlands, Lowlands, Cumberland River, and Tennessee River (Faber 2009).

Other organisms living with the stonecat vary. The most common fish that live in close approximation with the stonecat are the Noturus Insignis also known as margined madtom. Putative hybrids also share a habitat with the Noturus flavus (Cincotta 2004).

US auto-generated map
Figure 2. United States Noturus flavus locations

The water temperatures that stonecat fishes live in vary depending on the season and time of year. Due to continuous global warming within the next 50 years, the temperature of waters in Wisconsin streams is expected to rise. After many decades of temperatures rising, the stonecat species could be in danger.

The warmth of the air surrounding the water determines the water’s overall seasonal temperature. Noturus flavus can live in cold-water, cool-water, and warm-water. However, depending on the increase of water temperature from the previous year, the stonecat fishes living conditions and survival techniques have the potential to change (Lyons 2010).

Continue to Nutrition or return to the Home Page