Fallfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fallfish |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Semotilus
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| Species: |
corporalis
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| Synonyms | |
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The fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) is a cool freshwater fish found in North America. It belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which includes many types of minnows. The fallfish is actually the biggest minnow species that lives in Eastern North America!
Contents
Discover the Fallfish: What It Looks Like
Most fallfish are about 13 centimeters (5 inches) long. But some can grow much bigger, up to 38 centimeters (15 inches). A few extra-large ones have even been found measuring over 48 centimeters (19 inches)!
Young fallfish have a dark stripe running along their body. Their top and sides are shiny silver, while their belly is white. When male fallfish are ready to breed, their gill covers (called opercula) turn a light pink color.
Fallfish Nests: Building a Home
Male fallfish are amazing builders! They create special stone nests on the riverbed. These nests are called "redds." You can often spot these stone piles in many streams across the northeastern United States.
When it's time to lay eggs, many male and female fallfish gather at these nests. They all join the male who built the nest to help with spawning (laying eggs).
Where Fallfish Live: Habitat and Range
Fallfish live in the northeastern parts of the United States and eastern Canada. They love clear streams, lakes, and ponds. You'll often find them in places with fast-moving water. However, they can also live in calm, well-oxygenated pools.
As their name suggests, fallfish are often found at the bottom of waterfalls. Before other fish like smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and brown trout were introduced, the fallfish was often the top hunter in many of these streams.
What Fallfish Eat: Diet and Hunting
Young fallfish and juveniles mostly eat tiny insects called chironomids and microscopic creatures called zooplankton. Once a fallfish grows to about 100 millimeters (4 inches), its diet changes. They start eating small fish, sometimes even their own young! They also eat whatever food they can find, like fish eggs and insects that fall into the water.
So, what young fallfish eat is quite different from what adult fallfish eat.
Fishing for Fallfish: Angling Fun
People often catch fallfish by accident when they are trying to catch other types of fish. But fallfish are actually a great catch on their own! They are large, fight hard, and make powerful runs when you're using light fishing gear. Plus, they are very willing to bite on bait, lures, and flies. They've even been known to strike lures that are almost as big as they are!
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) keeps track of world records for fish. The biggest fallfish ever caught with a rod and reel weighed 1.6 kilograms (3 pounds, 9 ounces). Jonathan McNamara caught this record-breaking fish in the Susquehanna River in New York on April 15, 2009. Josh D. Dolin tied this record on May 6, 2022, while fishing in the Cowpasture River in Virginia. Before these, other record fallfish were caught in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
Images for kids
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A fallfish caught by an angler.
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An illustration of a fallfish from an 1896 report.
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A fallfish caught in Massachusetts.
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