Any of several species of North American freshwater catfish in the genus Ictalurus , valued as food and sport fishes.
Bullheads are related to the channel catfish ( I. punctatus ) and other large North American species, but their tail is squared, rather than forked, and they are generally less than 12 in. (30 cm) long. The black bullhead ( I. melas ) is found in the Mississippi Valley, the yellow and brown bullheads ( I. natalis and I. nebulosus ) east of the Rocky Mtns., and the flat bullhead ( I. platycephalus ) in coastal streams between North Carolina and Florida. The name is sometimes applied to sculpins .