Eulachon
Thaleichthya pacificus
 |
Photograph courtesy of the
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering
To link to their webpage click here.
|
In-depth Information Regarding this Species
| U.S. Range in the Pacific Ocean |
Bering Sea to Monterey, California (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Substrate |
Pea sized gravel or semi-sandy substrate with stick and debris (eggs laid) (Smith and Saalfeld 1955 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Behavior |
Anadromous (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| General Temperature Range (°C) |
Very sensitive to temperature change (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Average Maximum Overall Length (cm) |
25 (Eschmeyer and Herald and Herald 1983) |
| Overall Maximum Age (years) |
5 (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Overall Age at Maturity (years) |
3 (Smith and Saalfeld 1955 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Overall Length at Maturity (cm) |
14–20
17 (average) (Smith and Saalfeld 1955 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Type of Reproduction |
Gonochoristic, iteroparous, oviparous (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Fecundity |
7,000–31,000 (Parente and Snyder 1970 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Spawning Behavior |
Most die after spawning (Emmett et al. 1991, Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Time of Year of Spawning |
December–April
February–March (peak) (Emmett et al. 1991)
March–May (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
| Spawning/Temperature Relationship (°C) |
4–10 (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Description of Eggs |
Demersal, adhere to substrate (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Habitat where Eggs are found |
Freshwater (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Days to Hatch |
19 (at 8.5–11.5°C)
30–40 (at 4.4–7.2°C) (Garrison and Miller 1980 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Habitat where Larvae are found |
Pelagic, river, estuary, marine (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Larval Food Preference |
Phytoplankton, Copepod eggs, Copepods, Mysids, Ostracods, Barnacle larvae, Cladocerans, Worm larvae, Cannibalistic on own larvae (Hart 1973 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Habitat where Juveniles are found |
Pelagic, marine (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Juvenile Food Preference |
Euphasids, Copepods, Other Planktonic Crustaceans (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Habitat where Adults are found (depth in meters) |
Pelagic, marine (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Adult Food Preference |
Euphasids, Copepods, Other Planktonic Crustaceans (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Environmental Considerations |
No feeding during migration (Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Commercial Fishery |
Major fishery in Columbia River (Moyle 1976 in Emmett et al. 1991)
862 tons landed in Columbia in 1987 (McIsaac and Bohn 1988 in Emmett et al. 1991) |
| Market |
"Excellent flavor" (Eschmeyer and Herald 1983) |
Recent Wild Harvest Data for Oregon
Data from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
|
Year
|
Total Catch
(Pounds)
|
Ex-vessel Value
( U.S. Dollars)
|
|
1989
|
19,968
|
4194
|
|
1990
|
1,068
|
854
|
|
1991
|
1,580
|
1,054
|
|
1992
|
2,644
|
2,270
|
|
1993
|
27,122
|
6,565
|
|
1994
|
210
|
223
|
|
1995
|
6,816
|
5,583
|
|
1996
|
7,094
|
8,439
|
|
1997
|
27,059
|
6,3668
|
|
1998
|
7,081
|
18,489
|
 |
Photograph courtesy of the
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering
To link to their webpage click here.
|
