Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis)

The Fallfish or Semotilus corporalis is a member of the Cyprinidae family which is the largest family of fish in the world and includes Minnows and Carp.  Fallfish are often found in Eastern Canada south to Virginia in The United States.  They prefer cold clear streams, but are often found in lakes and ponds normally in shallow water.

Fallfish have long slender bodies with blunt heads.  They have a single dorsal fin which is located in the middle of their body.  This fish is often confused with the Creek Chub, but can be differentiated by the lack of a black spot which appears on the base of the dorsal fin on the Creek Chub.  Mall Fallfish will often have a reddish tinge and will develop tubercles on their heads as you can see in the picture below.

Fallfish are not particularly large, only growing to about 16" and weighing about 2lbs maximum.  They can live for about 10 years and will spawn in the late spring through summer.  The male Fallfish will build a nest of pebbles which can be very large.  It isn't uncommon for these nest to be 6' in length and 3' tall!  Impressive for such a small species.  The male will use this nest to mate with multiple females.

Also known as the Silver Chub and the Windfish, these fish will feed mostly on insects, but will also dine on smaller fish, algae and crustaceans.  They are edible, but they are not one of the best tasting fish.  If you have any additional information about the Fallfish please leave us a comment.