The Sacramento pikeminnow (''Ptychocheilus grandis''), formerly known as the Sacramento squawfish, is a large
cyprinid
Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest ver ...
fish of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, United States. It is native to the
Los Angeles River
, name_etymology =
, image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg
, image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge
, image_size = 300
, map = LARmap.jpg
, map_size ...
,
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
-
San Joaquin,
Pajaro-
Salinas,
Russian River,
Clear Lake and upper
Pit River river basins. It is predatory and reaches up to in
total length
Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.
Overall length
* Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...
.
The species has been introduced into the
Salt River, where it is considered an
invasive species.
The species was introduced to the
Eel River watershed in the 1970s by anglers using the pikeminnow as bait. It has a large appetite for
salmonid species once it reaches about long. Until then, it eats anything in its path. Because it is invasive in the Eel River, it has very few predators.
River otter populations have increased and helped stabilize the pikeminnow population, but they still put pressure on endangered salmonid species.
References
External links
"Sacramento pikeminnow" on the California Fish Website. accessed October 5, 2010.
Ptychocheilus
Endemic fauna of California
Fish of the Western United States
Freshwater fish of the United States
Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
Los Angeles River
Sacramento River
Salinas River (California)
San Joaquin River
Fish described in 1854
{{Leuciscinae-stub