Help identifying a fish caught by an Osprey.

Question: I caught a few images of an Osprey catching some fish in the mouth of the Booneville Channel, which branches from the Willamette River in south Corvallis. I could use some help identifying one of the fish that the Osprey caught. This was today, maybe 10:30 or 11.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 06, 2023, 5:15 PM EDT
response: Hello Ari:  Beautiful photos. I think we are looking at a Mountain Whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni ).  I wished I could see the adipose fin (second small dorsal fin found in few species in this area mostly salmoniforms).  I am sharing the photo with others in my Department and will confirm later today or tomorrow.  Cheers!

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 08, 2023, 2:29 PM EDT
response: Thank you! This same osprey also caught what I think is a largescale sucker about 30 minutes prior to this catch, but I only got one photo of the underside of that fish. I suspect the Osprey had hungry mouths to feed back at the nest. On Jun 6, 2023, at 2:15 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 08, 2023, 5:06 PM EDT
response: Nobody got back to me yet.  But I am 99% certain it was a Mountain Whitefish.  If I hear any dissenting opinions I will let you know.  Ospreys do catch a lot of suckers.  And yes, this is that time of the year when they are working overtime.  Thanks for sharing.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 13, 2023, 5:30 PM EDT
response: It is definitively a Mountain Whitefish.   Can I use one of your photographs for a website I am building on Identification of Fish of the Willamette Valley.  The site is under construction.  We have all native species completed but need to finish the non-native fish species content.  It would be great to have the possibility of including one of your excellent photos of the osprey with fish in the general "about the Willamette River" page to illustrate how fish relate to other levels of the food chain and the fact that we still have a rather well functioning ecosystem despite all the stressors we have applied to it.  If you have photos of fish, I would love to see them.  Thanks for your passion and interest on these creatures.  Guillermo Giannico (<personal data hidden>).

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 14, 2023, 1:21 PM EDT
response: Guillermo -   I’ve re-edited the images with a little more care taken to show off both the Osprey and the fish. There are several images in here which you may find better for your purposes than those I sent simply for fish identification. I’ve also included the one image of the largescale sucker (I think). Here is a little bit of language to grant permission to use these images (for the lawyers) :)Attached to this email is a zip file containing 22 images which you are free to use for the purpose of the “About the Willamette River” page described in your previous email. No compensation for this use is required other than to retain the original metadata already embedded in the images (which contains copyright and licensing information as well as other identifying information) when published. I would also love it if the image could be credited to me “Ari Denison”, but this is not strictly necessary because that information is in the metadata already. The images may not be used for other purposes without prior permission from me. Enjoy! And please send a link to the web page once it is published. — Ari Ari DenisonCommercial, Editorial, Performing Arts & Dance PhotographerColor Code Studio+<personal data hidden><personal data hidden>https://colorcode.studioCorvallis, Oregon  On Jun 13, 2023, at 2:30 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 14, 2023, 6:48 PM EDT
response: Thanks again Arin.  I responded to your generous offer from my private work email.  I will close this case or I keep getting daily reminders to check it.  With gratitude, Guillermo