Cyprinidae

Hardmouth

Gila alutacea

Hard jaw plate scrapes rocks

• Temperate
• Northern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• North America
• Fusiform
• Medium
• Temperate fish

The chiselmouth (Gila alutacea) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Leuciscidae. This fish is found in western North America. It is named for the sharp hard plate on its lower jaw, which is used to scrape rocks for algae.