PNNL

Abstract

Cyprinids are the most abundant nonsalmonid family of fishes in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River and collectively comprise >50% of the fish community. The northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis), redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus), peamouth (Mylocheilus caurinus), and chiselmouth (Acrocheilus alutaceus) are common, and common cardp (Cyprinus carpio), several species of dace (Rhinichthys cataractae, R. falcatus, R oculus), tench (Tinca tinca), and goldfish (Carassius auratus) also occur. Cyprinid spawning is concentrated in late spring and early summer at water temperatures ranging from 10 to 16oC. Of the most abundant cyprinids, northern pikeminnow, attain the largest size at maturity and redside shiner the smallest. Although all species are omnivorous for at least part of their lifecycle, northern pikeminnow is piscivorous at sizes >250 mm fork length while chiselmouth ingest mainly periphyton.