Smallmouth buffalo
Ictiobus bubalus
Where at Shedd?
At Home on the Great Lakes
| Diet | Algae, mollusks and small crustaceans |
|---|---|
| Size | Up to 44 inches (112 cm); common length 23 inches (58.5 cm) |
| Type | Fishes |
| Range | North America: Lake Michigan drainage and Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania and Michigan to Montana, USA and South to the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf Slope drainages from Mobile Bay in Alabama to Rio Grande in Texas and New Mexico, USA; Mexico |
| Habitat | Pools, backwaters, lakes and rivers in the central United States and northeastern Mexico. Introduced to western United States, eastern Europe and central Asia |
Did you know?
- Introduced to southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe.
- Smallmouth buffalos may have a small mouth but they are able to eat hard shelled mollusks by grinding them with bony plates in their throats.