California roach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California roach |
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The California roach (Hesperoleucus symmetricus) is a type of fish that belongs to the carp family. These fish are native to western North America. You can find many of them in the streams of central California. These streams often dry up and flow again, which means the roach are very tough! Scientists used to think there was only one kind of California roach. But now they know there are several closely related types.
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Meet the California Roach!
California roaches have a somewhat chunky body shape. They have a fairly large head and big eyes. Their mouth is small and points downwards. Their color is usually a darker grayish-blue on top. Their underside is a dull silver.
During the breeding season, these fish get special colors. Red-orange patches appear on their chin and gill covers. You can also see these patches at the base of their fins. The dorsal fin on their back has 7 to 10 rays. Their anal fin, on the underside, has 6 to 9 rays. California roaches do not grow very large. The biggest one ever found was about 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) long.
What Do California Roaches Eat?
California roaches mainly eat food from the bottom of streams. Their favorite food is stringy algae. They also eat aquatic insects and small crustaceans. Sometimes, they will also eat insects and crustaceans found on the water's surface. Other fish, like the green sunfish, like to eat California roaches.
How Do California Roaches Have Babies?
California roaches usually lay their eggs from March through June. They move into shallow water that is flowing. They look for areas with small rocks on the bottom. There, they gather together in groups called schools.
Females lay a few eggs at a time. Each female can lay between 250 and 900 eggs in total. These eggs are sticky and are laid in small cracks or spaces. They stick to the rocks. After the eggs are laid, the male fish fertilize them. The baby fish, called fry, stay hidden in these rocky spaces. They stay there until they are strong enough to swim around on their own.
Where Do California Roaches Live?
California roaches are very strong and adaptable fish. They do well in the streams of central California that sometimes dry up. These conditions are often too difficult for other types of fish. When springtime streams dry out in the summer, roaches gather in large numbers in pools. These pools can become very hot, sometimes up to 95°F (35°C). They can also become very salty and have low oxygen. California roaches seem to handle these tough conditions well. They can even cope with water that has some pollution.
You can find these fish in the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River areas. This includes places like the Pit River and Goose Lake. They also live in many small rivers along the coast. Some of these rivers include the Russian River, Pajaro River, Salinas River, and Adobe Creek. Scientists think that some populations in southern California and Oregon might have been introduced by people.
Different Types of California Roaches
Scientists have recently studied the California roach very closely. They used to think it was just one species. But now they have found that there are actually several different types. These types are very similar but are considered separate species or subspecies. This means there's more variety in the California roach family than we first thought!
See also
In Spanish: Hesperoleucus symmetricus para niños
