The Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius, formerly squawfish) is the largest cyprinid fish of North America and one of the largest in the world, with reports of individuals up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long [3] and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg).

Colorado pikeminnow is a fish species endemic to warm-water, large rivers of the Colorado River basin and is the largest minnow native to North America. Historically, the Colorado pikeminnow was the apex, or top, predator in the upper basin, despite lacking jaw teeth.

The Colorado pikeminnow is the largest minnow in North America and is an endangered, native fish of the Colorado River thought to have evolved more than 3 million years ago. Called the “white salmon” by early settlers due to its migratory behavior, the Colorado pikeminnow has a torpedo-shaped body and a large, toothless mouth.

Colorado pikeminnow are known for long-distance spawning migrations of more than 200 miles in late spring and early summer. They are capable of reproducing at 5 to 7 years of age. Young Colorado pikeminnow feed on insects and plankton, whereas adults feed mostly on fish.

2024年7月2日 · It is the largest minnow in North America and is only found in the Colorado River Basin — nowhere else in the world. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist releasing a large Colorado pikeminnow. Video courtesy of USFWS.

The Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius, formerly squawfish) is the largest cyprinid fish of North America and one of the largest in the world, with reports of individuals up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg).

Adult Colorado pikeminnow collected on the Green River in Desolation Canyon, Utah. These young-of-year Colorado pikeminnow were captured while seining in the middle Green River. Biologists sample for young endangered fish to measure the adult’s reproductive success.

Description: The Colorado pikeminnow, also known as the Colorado squawfish, is the largest North American minnow. These fish have been known to reach six feet in length and 80 pounds in weight. Adult fish may be green-gray to bronze on their backs and silver to …

2023年9月29日 · Primary threats to the Colorado pikeminnow include barriers to movement due to dams and diversions, entrainment into irrigation canals, altered river temperatures, climate change , water storage and flow management, predation from invasive species , …

North America: Colorado River drainage in USA (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California) and Mexico. Now mostly restricted to Utah and Colorado; and extirpated from the southern portion of the range by the construction of large dams. Anal soft rays: 9.