New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

💧 Freshwater Least Concern 🍽️ Edible 🌡️ Temperate

Peamouth

Mylocheilus caurinus Richardson, 1836
Max Length
36 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.5
Depth
-
Climate
Temperate
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
47.00/100
Typical Length
19.8 cm
Depth Zone
demersal

📖 Overview

Adults inhabit lakes and slow-flowing areas of small to medium rivers. Common around vegetation . They form schools. Can withstand brackish waters for a limited period . Newly hatched individuals school near the shore, moving into deeper water in the summer . They feed mainly on aquatic insects and its larvae and some terrestrial insects ; but also on planktonic crustaceans, mollusks, and small fishes . Preyed upon by fish-eating birds and mammals . Utilized as game fish and as food in the past .

Scientific Name
Mylocheilus caurinus
Authority
Richardson, 1836
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Temperate
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
36 cm
Trophic Level
3.5
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
47.00/100
Migration
Potamodromous

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal soft rays: 8. Lateral line complete with 66-84 scales; dorsal fin with 8 rays; anal fin with 8 rays; molarlike pharyngeal teeth 1,5--5,1; slender body, somewhat compressed; large eye; long rounded snout; barbel at corner of slightly subterminal mouth; large forked caudal fin; dorsal-fin origin over or in front of pelvic-fin origin; axillary process at pelvic-fin base; dark gray-brown to green above; 2 dark stripes, lower one ending in front of anal fin, on silver yellow side; yellow to brown fins; and large male with red on side, belly mouth, gill cover and pectoral-fin base .: fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Peamouth is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Peamouth is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
24.9cm TL

Spawning fish come close to shore in groups of 50-400. Groups are about 25 to 100 feet apart from each other. Females are crowded by 2 or more males into 1 or 2 inches of water by the shoreline and eggs and sperms are released.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; brackish; demersal; potamodromous . Temperate; 59°N - 40°N North America: Nass (Pacific Slope) and Peace River (Arctic basin) systems in British Columbia, Canada south to Columbia River drainage in Oregon and Idaho, USA; also in Vancouver, British Columbia and Mackenzie River drainage (Arctic basin) in Northwest Territories, Canada (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater 🌿 Brackish ⬇️ Benthic
Migration
Potamodromous
Trophic Level
3.5±0.49
🐠 Schooling
Food Items

aquatic insects and its larvae and some terrestrial insects (Ref

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00871 × L3.06 (TL)
Max TL
36cm
Dorsal Rays
8
Anal Rays
8

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2012

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
47.00/100
Moderate-High vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.5
Predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Temperate
Described By
Richardson, 1836

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Peamouth is an edible species."

✗ Not for Raw
✓ Fresh Indicators
  • Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
  • Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
  • Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
  • Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
  • Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
✗ Avoid If
  • Cloudy or sunken eyes
  • Strong fishy or ammonia odour
  • Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
  • Discoloured or dry flesh
Best Cooking Methods
Baking Grilling Pan-frying

Nutrition

Detailed nutritional data for Peamouth is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Peamouth has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

Best Choice
Healthy stocks, low impact
Good Alternative
Well-managed, minor concerns
Use Caution
Check sourcing and season
Avoid
Overfished or high impact

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Peamouth · Peamouth chub
🌍CES jelčík arktický
🇫🇷French méné deux-barres
🇷🇺Russian Северо-западный милохейлус

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Cheonda cooperi Girard 1856 Synonym
Clarkina caurina Richardson 1836 Synonym
Cyprinus caurinus Richardson 1836 Synonym
Mylocheilus fraterculus Girard 1856 Synonym
Mylocheilus lateralis Agassiz & Pickering 1855 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 42 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Peamouth ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.