pdf version - South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks

Smallmouth Buffalo
Ictiobus bubalus
Quick key characteristics: The smallmouth buffalo is found in cool- and
warm-water habitats. It has large bronze or slate-olive scales and soft fi ns
with an elongated dorsal fi n. It has a relatively small, downward-facing
mouth and blunt, over-hanging snout. Its body is taller than wide and highly
arched.
Similar species in South Dakota: other buffalos, carpsuckers, carps
Identifi cation: The combination of (1) a small, downward-facing mouth with
the tip of upper lip far below the lower margin of the eye, (2) lack of barbels,
and (3) lack of heavy, serrated fi n spines distinguishes the smallmouth buffalo
from similar fi shes in South Dakota.
Range: The smallmouth buffalo is native to most river basins that drain into
the Gulf of Mexico, including the entire Mississippi River basin. In South
Dakota, it is most common in the Missouri River, including impoundments
and major tributaries, and in the James and Big Sioux rivers.
Items of interest:
• Commercially harvested for market
• Commonly found in schools near the bottom of rivers, lakes, and
impoundments
• Feeds on bottom-dwelling
invertebrates and detritus
• May reach 38 in. and 40 lbs.
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