Body slender; head flat. Adipose fin white or clear; pectoral fin short with 4-5 large sawlike teeth on rear edge; absence or presence of small teeth on front edge; rear edge of caudal fin straight or with slightly rounded corners; adipose and caudal fins broadly joined with tiny notch between. Color geographically variable. There are 2 subspecies: Noturus hildebrandi latus with shorter head and with 4 white or light yellow oval areas on uniform red-brown to black back; is strongly bicolored with brown to black upper side, white or yellow below. Noturus hildebrandi hildebrandi possesses longer head and prominently blotched color pattern above and almost to belly (Ref. 86798).