Prosopium williamsoni
Identification Tips:
Adults:
• Body slender, long, nearly cylindrical in cross section.
• Overall colouration silvery, but light or dark brown or olive on back.
• Scales on back, may have darkened borders.
• Head short; eye diameter less than snout length; snout pointed
• Single flap of skin present between nostrils.
• Mouth small and overhung by snout.
• Often protruding, beak-like, from face.
• Adipose fin large and elongated
• Dorsal fin:11 - 15 soft rays
• Anal fin: 10 - 13 soft rays
Juveniles:
• Parr marks along lateral line, nearly round, larger than eye
• Single row of par marks on middle of back
Conservation Status:
| British Columbia | Canada | Natureserve | |
| COSEWIC | Species at Risk Act | ||
| Not at Risk (Yellow List) | Not Assessed | None | G5, S5 |
Information Source: BC Conservation Data Centre: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/
Life History:
• Feeds mainly on aquatic insect larvae and mollusks, but also small fish, and fish eggs
• Fry feed on plankton
• Feed mostly at dusk and after dark.
• Spawn late October to early December
• Mature in 3rd or 4th year and live 7 or 8 years
Habitat:
• Occurs in lakes and medium to large rivers.
• Spawn over gravel in riffles
• Lake populations may migrate into tributary streams to spawn.
Range:
British Columbia
• Most fish-accessible medium to large rivers and lakes throughout the Province
Global
• North America: Mackenzie River drainage in Northwest Territory south through western Canada and northwestern USA in the Pacific, to Nevada and Utah,.
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Primary Information Source:
McPhail, J.D. 2007. The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia. University of Alberta Press. Edmonton, Alberta.
