2025 MURAL SPECIES!
northern madtom
Ojibwe: Giigoonhs
Latin: Noturus stigmosus
STATUS:
US STATUS: No Status/Not Listed
MI STATUS: E - Endangered (Legally Protected)
ARTIST:
RHIANNAN SIBBALD
Rhiannan Sibbald is a full-time muralist and illustrator based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is best known for her whimsical artworks with flat shapes, playful letterforms, energetic colors and joyful characters. Rhiannan’s creations invoke a childlike wonder that celebrates the magic found in nature and our communities.
Find more of Rhiannan’s work here!
EDUCATOR:
BRAD UTRUP
Brad Utrup works with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division at the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station, which conducts long term assessments and research projects in the Great Lakes waters of southeast Michigan.
Visit our Northern Madtom mural in downtown Grand Rapids at 56 Front Avenue NW!
Description:
The northern madtom is a stocky fish with four broken dark saddle bands, the last of which is at the base of the adipose fin. However the dark par does not extent to the distal margin of the adipose fin. The dorsal fin has a brownish or dusk bar but no jet-black blotch. There are a pair of light spots just anterior to the base of the dorsal fin.
Habitat and Occurrence
If you’re looking to find a Lake Sturgeon for yourself, check within the following ecosystems within the green counties on the map!
• Inland lake, littoral, benthic
• Inland lake, pelagic, benthic
• Mainstem stream (3rd-4th order), riffle
• River (5th-6th order), riffle
All information on this page is generously provided by the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI). For more information about Northern Madtoms - visit the species description here: mnfi.anr.msu.edu/northern-madtom. To learn more about Michigan’s biodiversity, ecological communities and natural heritage, visit mnfi.anr.msu.edu
get involved with northern madtom conservation!
While there are currently no Community Science projects specifically operating to benefit the preservation of Northern Madtoms in Michigan, there are many organizations who work to protect the habitats where it resides! Volunteer with some of these organizations and help protect the habitat that Northern Madtoms need in order to survive.
report an observation
MNFI stewards the Michigan Natural Heritage Database and track observations of some of Michigan’s rarest forms of life to fully understand the population and range of rare species to protect biodiversity in Michigan. If you have encountered a Northern Madtom, you can share the location information with these trusted conservation professionals here: mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/report