Ptychocheitus lucius
Colorado pikeminnow (squawfish)-Endangered (Believed extirpated from Nevada)
Description:
The Colorado pikeminnow reach lengths of 1.5 m (5ft), and weights of more than 36 kg (80 lbs). It has a compressed body, and the head constitutes nearly one fourth of its entire length. The dorsal and ventral fins are set back on the body. The caudal fin is strong, and deeply forked, the caudal peduncle is thick. Pikeminnow coloring ranges from bluish-gray coloring above to silvery gold below, and the young have a black spot in the middle of the caudal base. It has two weak lateral zones, an upper, dark one and a lower, pale line.
Habitat:
Colorado pikeminnow are found in medium to large rivers. The young minnows prefer small, quiet backwaters. Adult minnows use various habitats: deep turbid strongly flowing water, eddies, runs, flooded bottoms, or backwaters.
Range:
Colorado pikeminnow can be found in the ColoradoRiver basin, and in extreme southern Nevada where theColorado River forms the boundary between Nevada and Arizona.
Breeding:
Spawning occurs from July to August. Colorado pikeminnow migrate 100 kilometers or more to spawning sites, of which there are two types. The first consist of deep pools or eddies where the fish rest and feed between spawning bouts, or where males gather around the females until they are ready to deposit eggs. The second area is located at riffles or shallow runs, and it is here that mating takes place.
Diet:
These fish are piscivores, though they have been caught with bait, such as Mormon crickets, earthworms, small rodent carcasses and the flesh of larger animals.
Conservation Status:
Changes in stream flow and water temperature, direct loss of habitat due to inundation by reservoirs, blockage of migration routes and the introduction of non-native fish are primarily responsible for the decline of the Colorado pikeminnow.
References:
LaRivers, I. 1994. Fish and fisheries of Nevada. University of Nevada Press, R Reno, Nevada.
Mckinley & Deacon. 1991. Battle against extinction. The University of Arizona Press, Tuscon, Arizona.
Rose, Sharon & Hamil, John. 1988. Endangered species technical report. School of Natural Resources and Environment, The University of Michigan.
NatureServe. 2003. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 1.8. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available (Accessed: November 18, 2003 ).