Peamouth

The peamouth is the only extant species in the genus Mylocheilus. However, three fossil species are also known from the Late Miocene and Pliocene of western North America. • †Mylocheilus inflexus (Cope, 1883) - Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Deer Butte Formation (Oregon), Pliocene of the Glenns Ferry Formation (Idaho) • †Mylocheilus robustus (Leidy, 1870) - Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Deer Butte Formation (Oregon), Pliocene of the Glenns Ferry Formation (Idaho) • †Mylocheilus whitei Smith & Cossel, 2002 - Late Miocene (Hemphillian) of the Poison Creek Formation (Idaho) ==Description==

The peamouth is a slender fish, with a somewhat compressed body and a subterminal mouth, large eyes, a rounded snout and a forked tail. on the belly, mouth, gill cover and pectoral fin base. The dorsal fin and the anal fin each have 8 soft rays and the lateral line has 66–84 scales. They can grow to in total length. ==Distribution==

The peamouth occurs in western North America from the Mackenzie River in the North West Territories, the Nass River and the Peace River in British Columbia and the Columbia River drainage in Washington state, Oregon, Montana and Idaho. It is relatively tolerant of salt water and this has allowed it to colonise rivers on Vancouver Island and other islands off the coast of British Columbia. ==Habitat==

The peamouth can be found in the shallow, weedy zones of lakes and rivers, where it is most common among vegetation. It is usually found near the bed in depths of less than , although in winter they will move to the deeper parts of lakes. ==Biology==

Young peamouths feed predominantly on micro-crustaceans which are also preyed on by the adult fish but their diet is expanded to include snails, adult aquatic and terrestrial insects and even the occasional small fish. The newly hatched fry form schools near the shore, moving into deeper water later in the summer. The fish may spend the day in deeper water and move to the shallows to feed at night. ==Human use==

They have been used as a food fish by people the past and are still fished for by anglers. In Bellevue City near Seattle has an online alert system which informs people when the peamouth appear to spawn in the local streams so that interested people can observe the spectacle, being informed by email whenever the fish are observed. ==Hybridisation==

Hybrids between the peamouth and the Northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) and the redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) have been recorded throughout North America. The latter hybrid was once described as Cheonda cooperi before its true nature was discovered. ==References==