Colorado Squawfish

Ptychocheilus lucius

The Colorado Squawfish is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. Like many river fish, it has suffered from the introduction of non-native fishes into its environment and from the building of dams in the West. Dams and the rerouting of waterways have caused changes in water temperature and the volume of water flow. They also block migration routes used by this and other fish. These changes have caused the Colorado Squawfish to drop in both number and size; while it once reached 6 feet long, it now rarely reaches 3 feet.

Look For : A large, elongate minnow with a large mouth. Endangered.

Length : 36".

Habitat : Midsize streams; juveniles in quieter backwaters.

Range : Colorado River basin.