Northern pikeminnow

The northern pikeminnow, or Columbia River dace (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) is a large member of the minnow family, Cyprinidae.[2][3] This predatory freshwater fish is native to northwestern North America, ranging from the Nass River basin to the Columbia River basin.[2] A good deal of concern has been expressed regarding the impact northern pikeminnow populations may have on salmon in Columbia and Snake river impoundments.[4]

Northern pikeminnow

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Genus: Ptychocheilus
Species:
P. oregonensis
Binomial name
Ptychocheilus oregonensis

Naming

Until 1999, when the American Fisheries Society officially changed the common name to pikeminnow, the four species of this genus Ptychocheilus were known as squawfish.[5] The name squawfish is offensive to Native Americans and is a reminder of the brutalization of native women at the hands of early settlers.[6]

Behavior and habitat

Northern pikeminnows can live at least 11 years, reaching up to 25 in (63 cm) in total length and 7.5 lb (3.4 kg) in weight.[2] Female northern pikeminnow reach sexual maturity at about six years, males in three to five. A mature female can lay 30,000 eggs annually. Pikeminnow are adept predators, and in the Columbia and Snake Rivers, salmon smolts comprise a large part of their diets. Their populations have flourished with the development of the Columbia River hydropower system.[7] The reservoirs have provided excellent habitat for pikeminnow and given them an advantage over depressed salmon and steelhead populations.[8]

The northern pikeminnow has been shown to consume terrestrial insects, benthic invertebrates, other fish, aquatic insects, and plant matter.[9]

Relationship with people

While historically northern pikeminnow have not been of interest commercially nor to sport anglers, Washington and Oregon state fisheries agencies and the Bonneville Power Administration have placed a bounty[10] on them to reduce predation on scarce salmon stocks. A commercial fishery has developed based on that bounty. The current International Game Fish Association all tackle world record for northern pikeminnow is 7 lb 14 oz (3.6 kg) from the Snake River near Almota, Washington.[11]

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References
  1. NatureServe (2013). "Ptychocheilus oregonensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202359A18233204.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Ptychocheilus oregonensis" in FishBase. May 2019 version.
  3. "Ptychocheilus oregonensis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 26 July 2006.
  4. Blecha, Peter. 2018. "Pikeminnow reward program remains strong". The Columbian. https://www.columbian.com/news/2018/jul/25/pikeminnow-reward-program-remains-strong/. Accessed 8/21/18
  5. "Former squawfish hooks new name". Indian Country Today (Lakota Times). September 14, 1998. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012.
  6. Craig, John. "Squawfish Squawk Reels In Conundrum Insulting Fish Name Not Easy To Replace". spokesman.com. The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  7. Mesa, M. 1994. Effects of multiple acute stressors on the predator avoidance ability and physiology of juvenile chinook salmon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 123:786–793.
  8. Petersen, J. 1994. Importance of spatial pattern in estimating predation on juvenile salmonids in the Columbia River. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 123:924–930.
  9. Haggerty, M. 2009. Lake Ozette Sockeye Limiting Factors Analysis. p 2-33.
  10. Pikeminnow Bounty Program
  11. "Pikeminnow, Northern". igfa.org. International Game Fish Association. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
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