Common name: Chiselmouth
Family: Minnows
Species: Acrocheilus alutaceus
Description: The Chiselmouth is a western species of the minnow family. This species reaches a length of about 6-12 inches. They have large eyes. Their overall coloration is dark brown with lighter sides. Their lower lip is covered with a hard skin that gives them the ability to scrape algae from rocks. The average weight for this fish is between 0.022-0.268 kg.
Habitat: Although this fish inhabits moderate to slow flowing streams of all sizes, Chiselmouth fish prefer faster water of warm streams, but they are also found in larger rivers, small and large lakes.
Range/migration: These fish are migratory fish because most of the time they let the water take them down stream until they get to a large river. They get trapped when they get into little lakes, or behind dams. The Chiselmouth fish is found in the Columbia and Fraser River (British Columbia) systems, and the Malheur basin of eastern Oregon. In Idaho and Washington, it is found in the Snake system below Shoshone Falls.
Food: Chiselmouth fish are considered herbivores, or a plant-eating fish. Adults feed on algae, mainly microscopic organisms, by scraping the attached material off rocks and other bottom surfaces. Young fish consume surface and free-floating microscopic organisms.
Reproduction: Spawning occurs in late spring or early summer when water temperatures reach about 60F. Reproduction occurs in streams over gravel or small pebbles. Each female produces about 6,000 eggs.
Enemies: Chiselmouth fish get eaten by larger fish and by people. Eagles and other carnivorous birds eat Chiselmouth fish, too.
More information:
http://www.fisheries.org/idaho/chiselmouth.htm
http://livinglandscapes.bc.ca/cbasin/endangered/chiselmo.htm
http://www.livingbasin.com/cbasin/peter_myles/nat_cyprinidae.html