Ameiurus, bullheads Astephus † Ictalurus Noturus, madtoms Prietella Pylodictis Satan Trogloglanis The Ictaluridae, sometimes called ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are an important food source and sometimes fished for sport.

[3] The oldest fossil member of the family is Astephus from the Eocene Green River Formation of Utah and Wyoming.

Channel catfish, bullheads, and madtoms are "bottom feeders" with widely varied diets that include scavenging.

One of the largest species is the blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, specimens of which have been found to weigh over 50 kg (110 lb).

[5] The bullheads, though, are small catfish which at maturity often weigh less than 0.5 kg (1 lb), while the madtoms (genus Noturus) are in general much smaller.