Some life history characteristics of cyprinids in the Hanford Reach, mid-Columbia River

Cyprinids are the most abundant nonsalmonid family of fishes in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River and collectively comprise > 50% of the fish co mmunity. The northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis), redside shine r (Richardsonius balteatus), peamouth (Mylocheilus caurinus), and chiselmou th (Acrocheilus alutaceus) are common, and common carp (Cyprinus carpio), s everal species of dace (Rhinichthys cataractae, R. falcatus, R. oculus), te nch (Tinca tinca), and goldfish (Carassius auratus) also occur. Cyprinid sp awning is concentrated in late spring and early summer at water temperature s ranging from 10 to 16 degreesC. Of the most abundant cyprinids. northern pikeminnow, attain the largest size at maturity and redside shiner the smal lest. Although all species are omnivorous for at least part of their lifecy cle, northern pikeminnow is piscivorous at sizes > 250 mm fork length while chiselmouth ingest mainly periphyton.