Northern pikeminnow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern pikeminnow |
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The Northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) is a large freshwater fish that belongs to the minnow family. This fish is a predator, meaning it hunts and eats other animals. It lives in the rivers of northwestern North America, from the Nass River to the Columbia River basin. People are concerned that large numbers of northern pikeminnow might be eating too many young salmon in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
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Why Its Name Changed
Before 1999, the four types of Ptychocheilus fish, including the northern pikeminnow, were called "squawfish." However, the American Fisheries Society officially changed the name to "pikeminnow." This change happened because the word "squaw" is considered an offensive term for Native American women.
Life and Habits of the Pikeminnow
Northern pikeminnows can live for at least 11 years. They can grow to be about 35 inches (89 cm) long and weigh up to 15 pounds (6.8 kg).
Reproduction and Growth
Female northern pikeminnows are ready to lay eggs when they are about six years old. Males mature a bit earlier, usually between three and five years old. A grown female can lay as many as 30,000 eggs each year!
What Pikeminnows Eat
Pikeminnows are skilled hunters. In the Columbia and Snake Rivers, a big part of their diet is young salmon called smolts. These fish have become very common since the Columbia River hydropower system was built. The large reservoirs created by the dams are perfect places for pikeminnows to live. This gives them an advantage over salmon and steelhead, whose populations have become smaller. Studies show that pikeminnows can eat up to 650,000 young salmon each year.
Besides salmon, northern pikeminnows also eat many other things. Their diet includes insects that live on land, small creatures that live on the river bottom, other fish, insects that live in the water, and even some plants.
Pikeminnows and People
For a long time, people weren't very interested in catching northern pikeminnows for food or for sport. But now, fishing groups in Washington and Oregon, along with the Bonneville Power Administration, offer a reward for catching them. This program helps reduce the number of pikeminnows, which in turn helps protect the valuable salmon. Because of this reward program, a special fishing industry has even started to catch these fish.
The biggest northern pikeminnow ever caught by an angler weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces (3.57 kg). This world record fish was caught in the Snake River near Almota, Washington.
