Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis)

Scientific name: Ptychocheilus grandis Ayres, 1854

Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis)

The Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. Native range: North America, Sacramento-San Joaquin, Pajaro-Salinas, Russian, Clear Lake and upper Pit River drainages in California, USA.

Biology

Inhabits rocky and sandy pools and runs of small to large rivers. Common in clear, warm streams. Voracious minnow with pike-like habits. Small pikeminnows (less than or equal to 7 cm SL) are found in shallow water with cover and lower velocities. The microhabitat use of these juveniles is controlled by the presence of large pikeminnows which connotes intraspecific predation. The microhabitat shift is observed to be significantly influenced by the presence rather than the number of large pikeminnows in the area.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Ptychocheilus grandis
Family
Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
140
Common length
40.0
Environment
Freshwater; demersal
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North America: Sacramento-San Joaquin, Pajaro-Salinas, Russian, Clear Lake and upper Pit River drainages in California, USA.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; bait: usually
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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