Sacramento pikeminnow

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Sacramento pikeminnow
Pytocheilus grandis.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Leuciscinae
Clade: Laviniinae
Genus: Ptychocheilus
Species:
P. grandis
Binomial name
Ptychocheilus grandis
(Ayres, 1854)
Synonyms
  • Gila grandisAyres, 1854
  • Leuciscus gracilisAyres, 1854
  • Ptychocheilus major Agassiz, 1855
  • Ptychocheilus harfordi Jordan & Gilbert, 1881

The Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis), formerly known as the Sacramento squawfish, is a large cyprinid fish of California, United States. It is native to the Los Angeles River, Sacramento-San Joaquin, Pajaro-Salinas, Russian River, Clear Lake and upper Pit River river basins. It is predatory and reaches up to 1.4 m (4.6 ft) in total length. [2]

Contents

The species has been introduced into the Salt River, where it is considered an invasive species. [3]

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 6 inches (15 cm) 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. [4] [ full citation needed ]

Species Description

This species is known to have an elongated slender body with a flattened head and a large mouth which is well suited for prey. It has a narrow caudal peduncle and a deeply forked tail. Their former reference to ‘squawfishes’ is now considered offensive and outdated. Bigger adults have dark brown to olive coloration and the underside is golden-yellow. The smaller fish are silver and have a dark spot at the base of their tails. Spawning fish are observed to develop an orange-reddish coloration on their tails and males tend to develop nodes or tubercles on their heads. It has 8 dorsal, 8 anal rays, 15–18 pectoral rays and 9 pelvic fin rays. Their known maximum weight can be approximately 14.6 kg. [5] There are usually 67–75 scales on their lateral line and about 12–15 scales above the lateral line. [2] It is closely related to the three other pikeminnow species part of the same genus - Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus Lucius), Northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) and Umpqua pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus umpquae). These species can be distinguished based on regional distribution, weight and minor differences in appearance such as number of scales and rays. [6]

Regional Distribution

Distribution of Sacramento pikeminnow in California(https://databasin.org/datasets/6bf3a95a414b47308eaafe7df2bf5e87/ Sacramento pikeminnow distribution in california.png
Distribution of Sacramento pikeminnow in California(https://databasin.org/datasets/6bf3a95a414b47308eaafe7df2bf5e87/

Sacramento pikeminnow is a common widely distributed species that is native to California. [7]

Its natural distribution includes low and middle elevation run of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Province, the Clear Lake Basin and the Pajaro-Salinas and Russian river systems. They have also been introduced into the Eel River, Morro Bay tributaries and Southern California reservoirs. It is, however, uncommon in the freshwater Delta region. [8] The species introduction resulted from juveniles released as bait fishes or in stocked gamefishes.

Diet

The diet of Sacramento pikeminnow is diversified including freshwater and estuarine invertebrates and fish species. [8] Juveniles smaller than 10 cm fundamentally feed on insect larvae and aquatic invertebrates. As they grow, the focus of their diet shifts to crustaceans and then fishes. [5] There is considerable overlap in the diet of this species and Striped Bass. Both are opportunistic feeders that prey on seasonally available food including chinook salmon, minnows and sculpins. They even prey on frogs, large stoneflies, lamprey ammocoetes, and small rodents. [9] This piscivorous species is known to also feed on its own young. And so, the juveniles tend to inhabit more sheltered areas to avoid predation threats. [10]

Reproduction and Age

These warmwater fishes can live up to 16 years. They become sexually mature around the age of 3–4. After which, they spawn annually and can lay 15,000- 40,000 eggs a year. This adds up to half a million eggs in the lifetime of a single female Sacramento pikeminnow. [11] After hatching the larvae disperse by means of water flow and rapidly seek suitable habitat in the backwaters. Juveniles that migrate to the delta grow faster than those in the tributary habitats especially in spring and early summer. They spawn in rivers with no tides and migrate upstream from the deltas to do so. But there is a lot of variation in this behavior as some travel long distances to lay eggs and some remain exactly where they were. Ideally, they lay eggs in riffles and pool tails with substrates of gravel. [5] In the warm springtime months of April and May, males look for suitable spawning habitat by swimming upstream. A single female is pursued by 1 to 6 males. As eggs are deposited down close to the riverbed, they are simultaneously fertilized by males swimming close behind the females. [11]

Cultural History

Sacramento pikeminnow(https://keepcalmandflyfish.com/2015/01/debunking-trash-fish-of-california.html) Sacramento pikeminnow captured.png
Sacramento pikeminnow(https://keepcalmandflyfish.com/2015/01/debunking-trash-fish-of-california.html)

The pikeminnows were historically considered a ‘trash species’ based on old ideas about ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fish. These fish were considered to be less desirable than trout or salmon or other commonly known game fish. It was understood that their apex predatory nature would contribute to elimination of more valuable fishes. [12] Some native tribes in the past have consumed them in their diet. But more recently, it has been found to contain high levels of methylmercury and it is advised to not consume it. [13] The community around Lake Pillsbury holds an annual sport reward Pikeminnow Derby awarding prizes to anglers who catch the largest, the smallest and most fishes. Such an event has been known to eliminate about 600 pounds of pikeminnow at a time. [14]

Threats

There has been evidence suggesting that pikeminnows have been a primary food source for otters along the San Francisco Eel River. Social groups of otters with more adults have been successful in capturing adult pikeminnow. [15] This has prevented the complete decline of salmonids that are common prey of pikeminnow. [14] Photographic evidence suggests that river otters can play a role in controlling the invasive pikeminnow populations. Large-scale elimination efforts and projects by the California department of Fish and wildlife have been futile and unsuccessful as of yet. [15]

Invasive Species

The Sacramento pikeminnow competes with other native species such as the Central Coast Steelhead for habitat and prey on young trout. [16] In the Morro Bay region, rainbow or steelhead trout and California red legged frog are common prey for pikeminnows. The Morro Bay Estuary Program has been successful in regulating pikeminnow population. The novel approach of environmental DNA has been used to keep track of the presence of this species. There have been collaborations with agencies for reevaluating plans of pikeminnow management. [17]

Conservation Status

The conservation status is currently of least concern as the population has been thriving over the years. The Gold Rush of California (1848-1855) had certain implications on the population of this fish species amongst others. Due to the influx of miners and use of toxic substances including mercury, many environmental changes were brought about. [18] Natural vegetation was replaced, and it has had significant impact on the feeding and habitat of the Sacramento pikeminnow. In the coming years with lower water discharge and higher air temperatures, the population of this species is expected to move upstream earlier increasing competition with other native species. Greater understanding of this species and its interaction with other native species will be crucial to overcoming challenges caused by the climate and resource limitations. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trout</span> Freshwater fish from subfamily Salmoninae

Trout is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used for some similar-shaped but non-salmonid fish, such as the spotted seatrout/speckled trout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eel River (California)</span> River in northern California, United States

The Eel River is a major river, about 196 miles (315 km) long, in northwestern California. The river and its tributaries form the third-largest watershed entirely in California, draining a rugged area of 3,684 square miles (9,540 km2) in five counties. The river flows generally northward through the Coast Ranges west of the Sacramento Valley, emptying into the Pacific Ocean about 10 miles (16 km) downstream from Fortuna and just south of Humboldt Bay. The river provides groundwater recharge, recreation, and industrial, agricultural and municipal water supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow trout</span> Fresh-water species of fish

The rainbow trout is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coastal rainbow trout(O. m. irideus) or Columbia River redband trout (O. m. gairdneri) that usually returns to freshwater to spawn after living two to three years in the ocean. Freshwater forms that have been introduced into the Great Lakes and migrate into tributaries to spawn are also called steelhead.

Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) or Columbia River redband trout. Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and North America. Like other sea-run (anadromous) trout and salmon, steelhead spawn in freshwater, smolts migrate to the ocean to forage for several years and adults return to their natal streams to spawn. Steelhead are iteroparous, although survival is only approximately 10–20%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento blackfish</span> Species of fish

The Sacramento blackfish is a species of freshwater fish in central California. A cyprinid, the blackfish is the sole member of its genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific lamprey</span> Species of jawless fish

The Pacific lamprey is an anadromous parasitic lamprey from the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia in an area called the Pacific Rim. It is a member of the Petromyzontidae family. The Pacific lamprey is also known as the three-tooth lamprey and tridentate lamprey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big River (California)</span> River in Mendocino County, California (USA), south of Mendocino Village

The Big River is a 41.7-mile-long (67.1 km) river in Mendocino County, California, that flows from the northern California Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean at Mendocino, Mendocino County, California. From the mouth, brackish waters extend 8 miles (13 km) upstream, forming the longest undeveloped estuary in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alameda Creek</span> River in California, United States

Alameda Creek is a large perennial stream in the San Francisco Bay Area. The creek runs for 45 miles (72 km) from a lake northeast of Packard Ridge to the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay by way of Niles Canyon and a flood control channel. Along its course, Alameda Creek provides wildlife habitat, water supply, a conduit for flood waters, opportunities for recreation, and a host of aesthetic and environmental values. The creek and three major reservoirs in the watershed are used as water supply by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County Water District and Zone 7 Water Agency. Within the watershed can be found some of the highest peaks and tallest waterfall in the East Bay, over a dozen regional parks, and notable natural landmarks such as the cascades at Little Yosemite and the wildflower-strewn grasslands and oak savannahs of the Sunol Regional Wilderness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern pikeminnow</span> Species of fish

The Northern pikeminnow, Columbia River dace or colloquially Squawfish is a large member of the minnow family, Leuciscidae. This predatory freshwater fish is native to northwestern North America, ranging from the Nass River basin to the Columbia River basin. A good deal of concern has been expressed regarding the impact northern pikeminnow populations may have on salmon in Columbia and Snake River impoundments.

Pikeminnows, formerly squawfish, are cyprinid fish of the genus Ptychocheilus consisting of four species native to western North America. Voracious predators, they are considered an "undesirable" species in many waters, largely due to the species' perceived tendency to prey upon small trout and salmon. First known in western science by the common name Columbia River dace, the four species all became lumped under the name "squawfish". In 1999, the American Fisheries Society adopted "pikeminnow" as the name it recommends, because Native Americans consider "squawfish" offensive.

The Colorado pikeminnow 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). Native to the Colorado River Basin of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico, it was formerly an important food fish for both Native Americans and European settlers. Once abundant and widespread in the basin, its numbers have declined to the point where it has been extirpated from the Mexican part of its range and was listed as endangered in the US part in 1967, a fate shared by the three other large Colorado Basin endemic fish species: bonytail chub, humpback chub, and razorback sucker. The Colorado pikeminnow is currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, while its NatureServe conservation status is "critically imperiled".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uvas Creek</span> River in California, United States

Uvas Creek is a 29.5-mile-long (47.5 km) mainly southward-flowing stream originating on Loma Prieta peak of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The creek descends through Uvas Canyon County Park into Uvas Reservoir near Morgan Hill, and on through Uvas Creek Preserve and Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Upon passing U.S. Highway 101 it is known as Carnadero Creek, shortly before the confluence with the Pajaro River at the Santa Clara County - San Benito County boundary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American River</span> River in California, United States

The American River is a 30-mile-long (50 km) river in California that runs from the Sierra Nevada mountain range to its confluence with the Sacramento River in downtown Sacramento. Via the Sacramento River, it is part of the San Francisco Bay watershed. This river is fed by the melting snowpack of the Sierra Nevada and its many headwaters and tributaries, including its North, Middle, and South Forks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Searsville Dam</span> Dam in San Mateo County, California, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corte Madera Creek (San Mateo County)</span> River in California, United States

Corte Madera Creek is a 7.3-mile-long (11.7 km) creek that flows north-northwest to Searsville Dam and then joins with Bear Creek to form San Francisquito Creek in California.

<i>Mylopharodon conocephalus</i> Species of fish

Mylopharodon conocephalus, known as the hardhead, is a freshwater ray-finned fish from the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows, which is endemic to California. It is the sole member of the monotypic genus Mylopharodon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern California Steelhead DPS</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umpqua pikeminnow</span> Species of fish

The Umpqua pikeminnow, formerly called the Umpqua squawfish is a large cyprinid fish endemic to Oregon, and is the smallest species of pikeminnow. It is native to the Umpqua and Siuslaw river drainages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Fork Pacheco Creek</span> River in California, United States

North Fork Pacheco Creek is a 19 miles (31 km) tributary stream of Pacheco Creek, in Santa Clara County, California. Originally it was considered the upper reach of Pacheco Creek. Its source is at an elevation of 2,360 feet (720 m) at 37°11′17″N121°25′42″W on a mountain side in Henry W. Coe State Park and is the headwaters of the Pajaro River watershed.

Sacramento–San Joaquin is a freshwater ecoregion in California. It includes the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems of California's Central Valley, which converge in the inland Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. It also includes the mostly-closed Tulare Lake basin in the southern Central Valley, the rivers and streams that empty into San Francisco Bay, and the Pajaro and Salinas river systems of Central California which empty into Monterey Bay.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe (2013). "Ptychocheilus grandis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202358A18231558. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202358A18231558.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Ptychocheilus grandis". FishBase . May 2019 version.
  3. ↑ "Salt River Basin Assessment Report". Coastal Watershed Planning and Assessment Program. California Department of Fish and Game. May 2005. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Dr. Bret C. Harvey - Publications". users.humboldt.edu. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
  5. 1 2 3 Resources, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural. "California Fish Species". calfish.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Ptychocheilus", Wikipedia, 2024-10-10, retrieved 2024-11-13
  7. ↑ Romanov, Alexander M.; Hardy, Josie; Zeug, Steven C.; Cardinale, Bradley J. (December 2012). "Abundance, size structure, and growth rates of Sacramento pikeminnow ( Ptychocheilus grandis ) following a large-scale stream channel restoration in California". Journal of Freshwater Ecology. 27 (4): 495–505. doi:10.1080/02705060.2012.674684. ISSN   0270-5060.
  8. 1 2 Nobriga, Matthew; Feyrer, Frederick; Baxter, Randall (2006-02-15). "Aspects of Sacramento pikeminnow biology in nearshore habitats of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California". Western North American Naturalist. 66 (1): 106–114. doi:10.3398/1527-0904(2006)66[106:AOSPBI]2.0.CO;2. ISSN   1527-0904.
  9. ↑ Stompe, Dylan K.; Roberts, Jason D.; Estrada, Carlos A.; Keller, David M.; Balfour, Nicholas M.; Banet, Amanda I. (2020). "Sacramento River Predator Diet Analysis: A Comparative Study". San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science. 18 (1). doi:10.15447/sfews.2020v18iss1art4.
  10. ↑ Gard, Mark F. (2005-06-01). "Ontogenetic microhabitat shifts in Sacramento pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus grandis: reducing intraspecific predation". Aquatic Ecology. 39 (2): 229–235. doi:10.1007/s10452-004-1912-1. ISSN   1573-5125.
  11. 1 2 "Featured Fish: The Sacramento Pikeminnow • SYRCL". yubariver.org. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  12. ↑ Schneider, Charlie (2024-07-11). "The Good Fight: Beyond Trout". California Fly Fisher. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  13. ↑ Arthur, Damon. "Fish-eating advisory issued for Whiskeytown Lake". Record Searchlight. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  14. 1 2 Nguyen, Megan (2019-04-11). "Eel River Forum discusses Pikeminnow". California Trout. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  15. 1 2 "North American River Otter Diet Includes Invasive Sacramento Pikeminnow and Herpetofauna on South Fork Eel River, North..." ouci.dntb.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  16. ↑ "Steelhead". Morro Bay National Estuary Program. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  17. ↑ "Using eDNA to validate predation on native Oncorhynchus mykiss by invasive Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis)". ouci.dntb.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  18. ↑ "Gold Rush: Environmental Damage". California State Library. Retrieved 2024-11-13.
  19. ↑ Georgakakos, Philip B.; Dralle, David N.; Power, Mary E. (2023-11-01). "Spring temperature predicts upstream migration timing of invasive Sacramento pikeminnow within its introduced range". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 106 (11): 2069–2082. doi:10.1007/s10641-023-01486-y. ISSN   1573-5133.


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