Reference Guide > Montana Fish Field Guide > Suckers > Bigmouth Buffalo
Bigmouth Buffalo - Ictiobus cyprinellus
Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S4
Agency Status
USFWS: none
USFS: none
BLM: none
CFWCS Tier: 2
General Description
The Bigmouth Buffalo has a more terminal mouth, (that is, opening at the front of the head), which allows it to feed on plankton as well as bottom organisms and detritus. These barrel-shaped fish are rarely taken on hook and line. Bigmouth Buffalo can produce hundreds of thousands of eggs and live over 20 years. (FWP)
Diagnostic Characteristics
Usually dark colored (brownish or blackish), often with a coppery sheen; sometimes greenish or gray. Underside whitish or yellow; fins dark.
Distribution
Montana Range
Migration
Make long spawning movements from lower Missouri River to upstream areas. Dispersal downstream follows.
Habitat
Large rivers and reservoirs. Spawn in larger streams with backwater areas.
Food Habits
Plankton, crustaceans, and diptera larvae are the major food items.
Ecology
Downstream portions of Yellowstone River important as rearing areas. Adults school.
Reproductive Characteristics
Spawns May - July at 60 degrees F. in shallow water. Sexual mature at 3 yrs. Spawns over bottom or on vegetation. Incubation: 8 - 14 days. Spawn peaks early to mid June on middle Missouri River.
Citations & Sources
Holton, G. D. 2003. A field guide to Montana fishes. Mont. Dept. Fish, Wildl. Parks, 95 pp.
Citation for data on this website:
Bigmouth Buffalo — Ictiobus cyprinellus. Montana Field Guide. Retrieved on January 31, 2009, from http://FieldGuide.mt.gov/detail_AFCJC07020.aspx
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