To the layman, minnow is a catchall term for any small fish, including the baby fish of larger species. But scientifically, a minnow is a specific kind of fish belonging to the families Cyprinidae and Leucisidae (which until recently was lumped together with the Cyprinidae family) and the size of the fish is not at all a factor. Some of these “minnows” are among the largest of freshwater fishes, with the 9.8’ (2.9 meters) giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) being the largest member of the Cyprinidae family, and the Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius) being the largest member of the Leucisidae family.
Historically, the Colorado pikeminnow (formally known as squawfish) was reported to have grown up to 6’ (1.8 meters) in length and 80 lbs. (36 kg) in weight. It is said that pioneers would use mice, birds, and rabbits as pikeminnow bait, and pull them from the water using horses. That’s some minnow! But over the decades the average size of the species has gradually gotten smaller. Currently the average sized pikeminnow is less than 3’ (0.9 meters) in length with a weight of 4-9 lbs. (1.8-4 kg). The Colorado pikeminnow is currently listed as vulnerable and the population is in decline due to the usual combination of habitat loss, poor water quality, overharvest, invasive species, and the construction of dams.
The Colorado pikeminnow is native to the Colorado river basin of the United States and Mexico, although it is now extirpated from Mexico. This makes it an essential addition to the Marsh & Associates Native Fish Lab’s commissioned set of toy fishes representing species native to Arizona, where the lab is based. This set of 6 generally obscure fishes is produced by Safari Ltd. and their availability can be hit and miss. Right now, however, all 6 of them are available on the Marsh Lab’s website. So, get them while you can! I am happy to report that I have completed my own set, which has been a holy grail set for me since getting into this hobby.
The Safari Ltd. Colorado pikeminnow measures 6” in length which puts it at 1/12 in scale for a 6’ pikeminnow, and 1/6 in scale for a 3’ pikeminnow. The figure rests on its pectoral and pelvic fins and has a slight rightward bend in the tail.
The large head of the figure is appropriately broad and somewhat flattened, not unlike actual pike of the Esocidae family. The body is long with a narrow caudal peduncle and a covering of fine scales. The dorsal fin origin is slightly behind that of the pelvic fin origin and all the fins have sculpted fin rays. The caudal fin is deeply forked and a slightly decurved lateral line is present along the flanks. Overall, to my eye it’s a spot-on Colorado pikeminnow. But I’m not going to count the fin rays or lateral line scales which would help distinguish the Colorado pikeminnow from the 3 other members of its genus.
The figure is painted dark olive green along the back which gradually fades to yellowish green on the sides, and white on the underside. There’s a faint pink tinge painted on and around the fins. The eyes are black. This is reasonably accurate for the species. Younger pikeminnows have a dark stripe on the rear half of their sides and a black caudal spot. Large males have bright orange anal, pelvic, and pectoral fins.
It is a real tragedy that North America’s largest species of minnow now averages less than half of its once maximum size. I remember, long ago, stumbling across this picture of a replica Colorado pikeminnow and that was my introduction to the species. I was absolutely transfixed by the idea that fish this size once lurked the deep pools and eddies of the Colorado river. But hope is not lost for the species. They are still there, albeit smaller, and with conservation efforts underway maybe giant pikeminnows will swim North American waters again someday. The Safari Colorado pikeminnow is still in production but if you want one, you’ll have to visit the Marsh Education website where they retail for $12.00. The quantity is currently listed as “limited” so get it while you can.