Click on the fish below for a detailed view.

Eulachon
Thaleichthys pacificus

Eulachon are not important fish for sport fishing, and are not actively fished with a fly. They are included here because they have traditionally been an important part of the diet for many First Nations people along the coast of British Columbia. Eulachon are so high in oil content that they can be dried, fitted with a wick through the mouth and used as a candle! The oil is unique among fish oils. It is a solid at room temperature, similar to soft butter. The eulachon were eaten fresh, dried and rendered for their oil or ‘grease’. Many important ‘grease trails’ are found throughout BC – routes used by Native traders because the eulachon grease was very valuable. Eulachon and its grease were traded to interior Natives for meat, skins and other valuables. Eulachon is still an important part of the First Nations diet.

Also known as Smelt, candlefish, and oilfish or oolichan.

The eulachon is bluish on its upper half with silvery white sides and belly. It has small dark spots on its back. The body is long and thin with a large mouth and skinny head. The average adult length is about 22 cm.

Where do eulachon live?

The eulachon live most of their lives in the Pacific Ocean from the coast of Oregon to the coast of Alaska. In BC, they have been found spawning in 33 rivers. The major river systems where eulachon return to spawn are the Fraser, Skeena, Nass, and Klinaklini.

What is the life cycle of the eulachon?

The eulachon is an anadromous species. This means that it lives part of its life in the ocean and part of its life in fresh water. Between February and May the adult eulachon leave the ocean and swim up streams and rivers to spawn. Usually the male fish start up the rivers first, followed by the females. Most spawning eulachon are three years old although they can live up to five years.

Eulachon get together in large groups and spawn at night. The eggs and sperm are all released at the same time. The sticky fertilized eggs quickly attach to gravel, wood or the sandy bottom of rivers. Females can lay between 7,000 to 60,000 eggs. Most adults die soon after spawning. In about five to six weeks the eggs hatch and the small fish are carried down stream to the oceans.

Eulachon mostly eat plankton. They are very high in oil content, and are important food for dogfish, sturgeon, halibut, whales, sea lions, and birds. In the ocean, it is also preyed on by salmon and other large fishes.

Did you know that … that the latin name for eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus, comes from Greek thaleia meaning rich, ichthys meaning fish, and pacificus meaning of the pacific.

Food for thought . . . why do you think that eulachon was so valuable to the First Nations people?

Links of interest: http://www.oolichan.org