Mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus)

Scientific name: Catostomus platyrhynchus Cope, 1874

Mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus)

The Mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus) is a freshwater fish of the family Catostomidae.

Biology

Occurs in various habitats, but most common in rocky riffles and runs of clear mountain creeks and small to medium rivers. Rarely found in lakes. Feeds on diatoms, other algae, higher plants, dipterous larvae and pupae. Spawning adults may be preyed upon by birds and mammals while small individuals may be preyed upon by stream salmonids. Edible.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Catostomus platyrhynchus
Family
Catostomidae (Suckers)
Order
Cypriniformes (Carps)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
25.0
Common length
11.3
Environment
Freshwater; demersal
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
North America: Canada and USA from Saskatchewan River system and Fraser River drainage south through upper Missouri and Colorado River drainages to Colorado and Utah; Lahontan basin in the USA; upper Sacramento River system in California and through Oregon and Washington to southern British Columbia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Bait: usually
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-5)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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