Stonecats are catfish native to Colorado and parts east, from southern Canada to the Appalachians. Their name comes from their habit of hiding out near stones in swiftly flowing water. They live in two places in Colorado – the Republican River and the St Vrain River. They can be up to a foot long and live for five to six years in the wild. They will not live in polluted rivers and are an important sign of river health.
Like all catfish, Stonecats have long barbels – the fish equivalent of antennae – on their face which they use to hunt at night, feeling around for the variety of food they enjoy eating, such as mollusks, worms, plant matter, and crayfish.
Stonecats are monogamous and, unlike many fish, stay together as a pair to raise their young in the first few weeks of life. The female lays eggs around protective stones in turbulent water, and then the male carefully guards the first until they are born.
Other than that, this is not a well-studied species!