Tadpole Madtom

Noturus gyrinus is among the smallest and most rotund of the North American madtoms, its body tapering smoothly into an undivided rounded tail that gives it a distinctly tadpole-like silhouette. It inhabits weedy, slow-moving waters — marshy ponds, vegetated ditches, and sluggish stream backwaters — across much of the eastern and central United States. Like all madtoms, it has mildly venomous pectoral spines that can cause a brief stinging discomfort if handled carelessly.

In the aquarium, Tadpole Madtoms are easier to accommodate than most of their relatives due to their preference for still, weedy conditions rather than fast current. A well-planted tank with numerous hiding places — driftwood caves, clay pots, PVC segments — allows them to exhibit natural sheltering behaviour. They are most active at dusk and dawn.

They feed readily on small benthic invertebrates and frozen bloodworms and can be trained to accept sinking pellets. Their small size and modest space requirements make them among the most manageable of the native catfish for home aquaria.

Water: 15–25 °C, pH 6.0–8.0, soft to moderately hard; still to very gentle flow. Tank: 60 L minimum; dense planting, clay pots and caves for shelter; leaf litter welcome. Feeding: Live/frozen bloodworms, Tubifex, small invertebrates; sinking pellets offered at dusk. Breeding: Spawns in sheltered cavities; male guards eggs — clay pots or bamboo tubes as spawning sites. Compatibility: Peaceful toward similarly sized fish; avoid very small nano species.