California roach
Encyclopedia
The California roach, Hesperoleucus symmetricus, is a cyprinid
fish
native to western North America
and abundant in the intermittent streams throughout central California
. It is the sole member of its genus.
This fish is of a relatively chunky body shape, with a largish head and large eyes, but a small mouth oriented downwards. Color is a darker grayish-bluish above, and a dull silver underneath. During the breeding season, red-orange patches appear on the chin, operculum, and at the bases of pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins. The smallish dorsal fin has 7-10 rays, while the anal fin has 6-9 rays. They never get large, the maximum known being about 11 cm.
Mainly a bottom feeder, filamentous algae is the main part of its diet, followed by aquatic insects and crustaceans. It will also opportunistically eat insects and crustaceans at the surface. In turn, it is eaten by other fish, in particular green sunfish
.
Spawning occurs mainly from March through June. They move into shallow, flowing water, over bottoms covered with small rocks, and form up into schools. Females lay a few eggs at a time, eventually putting down from 250 to 900 eggs each. The adhesive eggs are laid in crevices, where they stick to the rocks, and then the males fertilize them. The fry continue to dwell in the crevices until they are strong enough to swim actively.
California roaches seem to be a resilient species that takes advantage of the intermittent waters of central California under conditions too difficult for other fishes. As the springtime streams dry up in summer, roaches accumulate in large number in pools, which may be alkaline, hot (up to 95 degree Fahrenheit), and low in oxygen. They also seem to cope well with sewage-polluted waters.
Mainly found in the Sacramento River
/San Joaquin River
drainage, including Pit River
and Goose Lake
, they are known from many of the small coastal streams (Russian River
, Pajaro River
, Salinas River
, Adobe Creek, Permanente Creek
, etc). Populations in southern California and in Warner Valley
, Oregon, may be introductions.
External links=
Cyprinid
The family Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek kyprînos , consists of the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives . Commonly called the carp family or the minnow family, its members are also known as cyprinids...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
native to western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and abundant in the intermittent streams throughout central California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is the sole member of its genus.
This fish is of a relatively chunky body shape, with a largish head and large eyes, but a small mouth oriented downwards. Color is a darker grayish-bluish above, and a dull silver underneath. During the breeding season, red-orange patches appear on the chin, operculum, and at the bases of pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins. The smallish dorsal fin has 7-10 rays, while the anal fin has 6-9 rays. They never get large, the maximum known being about 11 cm.
Mainly a bottom feeder, filamentous algae is the main part of its diet, followed by aquatic insects and crustaceans. It will also opportunistically eat insects and crustaceans at the surface. In turn, it is eaten by other fish, in particular green sunfish
Green sunfish
The green sunfish is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. A panfish popular with anglers, the green sunfish is also kept as an aquarium fish by hobbyists. They are usually caught by accident, while fishing for other game fish...
.
Spawning occurs mainly from March through June. They move into shallow, flowing water, over bottoms covered with small rocks, and form up into schools. Females lay a few eggs at a time, eventually putting down from 250 to 900 eggs each. The adhesive eggs are laid in crevices, where they stick to the rocks, and then the males fertilize them. The fry continue to dwell in the crevices until they are strong enough to swim actively.
California roaches seem to be a resilient species that takes advantage of the intermittent waters of central California under conditions too difficult for other fishes. As the springtime streams dry up in summer, roaches accumulate in large number in pools, which may be alkaline, hot (up to 95 degree Fahrenheit), and low in oxygen. They also seem to cope well with sewage-polluted waters.
Mainly found in the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
/San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
drainage, including Pit River
Pit River
The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S...
and Goose Lake
Goose Lake
Goose Lake may refer to:Canada*Goose Lake , Nova Scotia*Goose Lakes, Halifax, Nova Scotia*Goose Lake , Nova Scotia*Goose Lake , Nova Scotia*Goose Lake , Nova Scotia...
, they are known from many of the small coastal streams (Russian River
Russian River (California)
The Russian River, a southward-flowing river, drains of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California. With an annual average discharge of approximately , it is the second largest river flowing through the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area with a mainstem 110 miles ...
, Pajaro River
Pajaro River
The Pajaro River is a river in Northern California, forming part of the border between Santa Cruz County and Monterey County and between San Benito County and Santa Clara County.-History:...
, Salinas River
Salinas River (California)
The Salinas River is the largest river of the central coast of California, running and draining 4,160 square miles. It flows north-northwest and drains the Salinas Valley that slices through the Coast Range south from Monterey Bay...
, Adobe Creek, Permanente Creek
Permanente Creek
Permanente Creek is a stream originating on Black Mountain in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is the namesake for the Kaiser Permanente health maintenance organization...
, etc). Populations in southern California and in Warner Valley
Warner Valley
The Warner Valley is located in south-central Oregon, United States. It is a remote valley at the northwestern corner of North America’s Basin and Range Province. The valley is home to a chain of lakes and wetlands, known as Warner Lakes. The Warner Valley was used by Native Americans for...
, Oregon, may be introductions.
External links=