3009

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 3009
• Author: Holden, P. B. and E. Wick.
• Title: Life History and Prospects For Recovery of Colorado Squawfish
• USFW Year: 1981.
• USFW - Doc Type: Manuscript for 1982 Paper.
• Copyright Material: NO

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INTRODUCTION

The Colorado squawfish (Ptychocheilus lucius) is North America's
largest native cyprinid, at one time reaching lengths of 1.5-2.0 m. and
35 to 45 kg. Early explorers noted that it was used by Indians and
early white settlers as food. Early distributional records established
its range throughout the Colorado River system in the main channels and
larger tributaries (Girard 1856; Gilbert and Schofield 1898; Jordan
1891; Jordan and Evermann 1896; Ellis 1914). Very few published
accounts of the species exist for the first half of the 20th Century.
In the 1960's, the construction of large dams that threatened the river
and its inhabitants spurred investigation of this species, along with
the other rare fish. The Colorado squawfish has tended to be the most
studied of the four rare, large river endemics, probably due to its more
widespread occurrence and its economic link with the past history of the
West.
The Colorado squawfish is one of four species of Ptychocheilus, all
found in western North America. The Sacramento squawfish (f. grandis
is endemic to the Sacramento River system in California. The Umpquae
squawfish (f. umpquae) is found only in the Umpquae and Siuislaw rivers
of Oregon and the northern squawfish (f. oregonensis) is found in the
Columbia River and other coastal streams in Washington and Oregon. Of
the four, only the northern squawfish is abundant, scorned as a predator
on game fish and the target of specific poisons and other eradication
techniques.

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