HomeFish encyclopediaRay-finned fishesCatfishNorth American freshwater catfishesChucky madtom Chucky madtom (Noturus crypticus) Scientific name: Noturus crypticus Burr, Eisenhour & Grady, 2005 The Chucky madtom (Noturus crypticus) is a freshwater fish of the family Ictaluridae. Native range: North America, USA. BiologyDorsal soft rays (total): 6; Anal soft rays: 15 - 17. Diagnosis: Distinguished from other members of the Noturus elegans species group by having: modally 16 anal rays (vs. 18 in Noturus fasciatus); modally 8 pelvic rays (vs. 9); 2-10 medium-large sized melanophores on the cheek (vs. large melanophores absent on cheek); adipose fin band extending only to base or half-way up fin (vs. extending half-way up to edge of fin in fasciatus); adipose and caudal fins distinctly joined at their juncture (vs. weakly connected in fasciatus); three evenly spaced pale and dark bands in caudal fin (vs. caudal fin bands usually two and unevenly spaced); robust body shape, with body width at pectoral fin origin 23% or more of SL and greater than anal fin base length (vs. slender body shape, with body width at pectoral fin origin 22% or less of SL and less than anal fin base length). There is an absence of shared alleles for eight allozyme loci (mAAT-A, sACOHA, GPI-B, LDH-B, sMDHP-A, Pep-b, Pep-Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameNoturus crypticusFamilyIctaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes)OrderSiluriformes (Catfish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length6.5EnvironmentFreshwater; benthopelagicClimateTropicalDistributionNorth America: USA.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026