Pumpkinseed Sunfish Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus) discovered in the
Upper Columbia River
"The Pumpkinseed Sunfish is native to southeastern Canada where it prefers weedy lake shore waters. The origin of the Pumpkinseed Sunfish in British Columbia is unknown, but its distribution seems to follow that of the Smallmouth Bass; it seems likely that these two species were introduced to British Columbia together in the early 1900s."
Pumpkinseed Sunfish are currently established in small lakes in Victoria area, the lower Columbia, lower Kootenay, Kettle and Okanagan systems below Cascade and Okanagan falls and now with this record the Upper Columbia River.
The introduction of exotic fish species into natural waterways can lead to a reduction in native fish numbers. Exotic fish affect native fish through direct competition for food and space, predation, habitat alteration and the introduction of exotic diseases and parasites.
"The proportion of endemic fish species found in the Columbia Basin in British Columbia sets the Columbia Basin apart from other large drainage basins in North America. At present, the Columbia Basin contains 43 fish species, of which 27 are native (9 endemic), and 16 are introduced 'exotic' species. The Columbia Basin presently houses over half (43 of 84 species) of British Columbia's freshwater fish fauna, making it the parent drainage for freshwater fish diversity in British Columbia." Living Landscapes, Royal BC Museum
