Black Buffalo Ictiobus niger
This species was found at 3 bioassessment sites, 0 rapid fish bioassessment sites, 6 fisheries assessment sites, and 0 fisheries presence-only assessment sites. In total, it was collected at 9 distinct sites, or 0.6% of the 1486 total sites monitored by the bioassessment program. It is the 102nd most commonly collected species.
The Black Buffalo was collected in 4 bioassessment sampling sessions and 6 fisheries assessment sessions. It was present in 0 rapid bioassessment sessions and 0 presence-only sessions.
The biological assessment program has collected a total of 34 individual Black Buffalo specimens, ranking it the #107 most collected fish.
Often mistaken for the other buffaloes, it is colored much like the bigmouth, except it is a darker, gunmetal blue and lacks the brassy luster. The body is slightly compressed, almost round, and the back is not arched. Its head is large and rounded, with a blunt snout, broad and round. The mouth is small, ventral, and the tip of the upper lip is far behind the margin of the eye. Pharyngeal teeth are short and fragile and have about 195 per arch. The dorsal fin is sickle-shaped with 27 to 31 rays; the anal fin has 8 to 9 rays and the pelvic fins have 9 to 11 rays. The lateral line is complete with 36 to 39 large scales. Fish less than 12-inches long are difficult to separate from Smallmouth Buffalo. Black Buffalo often hybridize with other buffalofish, which further complicates positive identification. It is the largest of the buffalofish often weighing over 80 pounds.
HUC12 watersheds where this species has been found