Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) is a freshwater species recorded in the United States.
Scientific name: Semotilus corporalis · Water: Freshwater
Size: up to 51 cm
The fallfish is a demersal leuciscid whose adults inhabit gravel- and rubble-bottomed pools and runs of small to medium rivers, and also lake margins. Maximum length is about 51 cm total length, commonly about 17.1 cm, and it can live six years. It is taken in subsistence fisheries and is a gamefish. Fishing vulnerability is high at 62 of 100 and resilience medium. IUCN lists it as least concern.
Juveniles carry a dark stripe running down the centre of the body, and the colouring is silvery on the top and sides with a white belly, while breeding males develop a pinkish tone over the opercular region without ever acquiring bright breeding colours. Spawning males build stone nests, known as redds, which form a prominent part of the bottom on many streams across the north-east, and spawning is communal, with both males and females joining the nest builder. It is the largest minnow native to eastern North America, and before the arrival of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and brown trout it was the apex predator in many streams. Young fish feed mainly on chironomids and zooplankton, and once they reach about 100 mm the diet shifts to small fish, including their own young, together with fish eggs and terrestrial insects, so there is little overlap between what juveniles and adults eat. It inhabits clear streams, lakes and ponds across the north-eastern United States and eastern Canada, preferring swift currents while also using well-oxygenated pools, and it is often found at the foot of waterfalls.
Back to home · United States · Species library