About Stonecat

Stonecats are small, slender, flat-headed catfishes, with the adipose fin keellike and continuous with the dorsal fin except for a shallow notch. The upper jaw projects beyond the lower jaw and the tooth pad on the upper jaw has a narrow, crescent-shaped extension on each side. There are lateral backward extensions on the premaxillary band of teeth. Whereas the dorsal and pectoral spines of most members of this family cause wounds that irritate, the stonecat has poison glands, particularly on the bases of the pectoral spines, that cause extreme pain similar to that of a wasp sting with just one prick. The pectoral fin lacks any posterior serrae. Anal fin rays number 15 to 18, pectoral fin rays 9 to 11, and pelvic fin rays 8 to 10. The caudal fin rays number 55 to 67. The skin of the stonecat is thick and is yellowish-brown in color, the sides of the head shade to yellow, and the belly is whitish. The stonecat has two forms. In the Cumberland drainage in Tennessee, a scientifically undescribed form possesses two light bars (perpendicular to body length) on its nape. In other areas, a patch exists in place of the bars. In both forms, the stonecat has a white spot at the rear of the dorsal fin base and one on the upper edge of the caudal fin. There are either no or a few weak teeth on the rear of the pectoral spine.