Species: Ptychocheilus oregonensis
Northern Pikeminnow
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Generally 21-30 cm SL; may reach length of 63 cm and mass of 13 kg.
Source: Encyclopedia of Life
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Cypriniformes
Family
Cyprinidae
Genus
Ptychocheilus
NatureServe
Classification
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Minnows and Carps
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae - Ptychocheilus - See Carney and Page (1990) for a diagnosis and information on meristic variation. See Mayden et al. (1991) for a morphometric phylogenetic analysis of the genera MYLOPHARODON and PTYCHOCHEILUS (no taxonomic changes were proposed).
Ecology and Life History
Generally 21-30 cm SL; may reach length of 63 cm and mass of 13 kg.
Source: Encyclopedia of Life
Habitat Type Description
Freshwater
Migration
false - true - false - May migrate from lakes to streams to spawn (a few hundred yards to several miles) (Simpson and Wallace 1982).
Non-migrant
false
Locally Migrant
true
Food Comments
Small individuals feed primarily on aquatic and terrestrial insects. Adults feed on fish, insects, insect larvae, crustaceans and some plankton during spring and summer. Fishes are the major component of the diet in winter.
Reproduction Comments
Male squawfish first reach sexual maturity at age 3, females at age 4. Spawning occurs May-July. Each female produces 6700-83000 eggs. Eggs hatch in one week at 65 F; young are free-swimming in 14 days (Wydoski and Whitney 1979). Congregates in groups of up to 8000 individuals (Johnston and Page 1992).
Ecology Comments
Life span estimated at 15-20 years (Scott and Crossman 1973).
Length
30
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-09-17
Global Status Last Changed
1996-09-17
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=S1&CA.BC=S5&US.ID=S5&US.MT=S5&US.NV=SNR&US.OR=S4&US.WA=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Pacific drainages from Nass River, British Columbia, to Columbia River drainage of northern Nevada, east to western Montana; Harney River basin, eastern Oregon; Peace River system (Arctic basin), British Columbia and Alberta, east of the Continental Divide; common, locally abundant (Scott and Crossman 1973, Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 1991).