Desert sucker
Encyclopedia
Catostomus clarki, the Desert Sucker or Gila Mountain Sucker is a freshwater
species of fish
in the sucker family
that lives in the Great Basin
and the Colorado River Basin
.
on the upper half of the body have dark spots which form faint dashed lines. Their head is cylindrical, tapering to a blunt face with the lower lip about three times as thick as upper lip. The mouth is on the underside (ventral) of the face and is proportionately large. The dorsal fin
of the desert sucker has 10 to 11 rays. The adult lengths range from 4 to 16 in (10.2 to 40.6 ) in smaller streams but up to 31 inches (78.7 cm) in Arizona. Their weight ranges from 4 to 65 oz (113.4 to 1,842.7 ).
basin, below the Grand Canyon
, particularly in the Gila River
, and above the Grand Canyon in streams in the Virgin River
basin, the White River
basin and others. The total range area of the desert sucker is estimated at 128000 km² (49,421.1 sq mi).
Some ichthyologists regarded these as members of the genus Pantosteus, but later authors regard Pantosteus as a subgenus of Catostomus. There are suggestions of hybridization between Catostomus clarkii and Catostomus insignis.
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
species of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the sucker family
Catostomidae
Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...
that lives in the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and the Colorado River Basin
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
.
Description
Desert suckers are bi-colored; the back and upper sides are darker, olive-brown to dark green, and the belly and lower sides are deep-yellow to silvery tan. The scalesScale (zoology)
In most biological nomenclature, a scale is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration...
on the upper half of the body have dark spots which form faint dashed lines. Their head is cylindrical, tapering to a blunt face with the lower lip about three times as thick as upper lip. The mouth is on the underside (ventral) of the face and is proportionately large. The dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
of the desert sucker has 10 to 11 rays. The adult lengths range from 4 to 16 in (10.2 to 40.6 ) in smaller streams but up to 31 inches (78.7 cm) in Arizona. Their weight ranges from 4 to 65 oz (113.4 to 1,842.7 ).
Distribution
The desert sucker is found in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. The desert sucker occurs in the lower Colorado RiverColorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
basin, below the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
, particularly in the Gila River
Gila River
The Gila River is a tributary of the Colorado River, 650 miles long, in the southwestern states of New Mexico and Arizona.-Description:...
, and above the Grand Canyon in streams in the Virgin River
Virgin River
The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.-Course:...
basin, the White River
White River (Nevada)
The White River is a small and discontinuous river located in southeastern Nevada notable for several endemic species of fish.-Course:The river begins at the Great Basin Divide in the White Pine Range near Ely, where it is fed by snow melt and springs from Currant Mountain...
basin and others. The total range area of the desert sucker is estimated at 128000 km² (49,421.1 sq mi).
Reproduction
Desert suckers reach maturity in their second year. Spawning occurs in winter and spring from January through May.Subspecies
Three subspecies have been identified: the White River Desert Sucker, Catostomus clarkii intermedius (sometimes known as White River Mountain Sucker, Pantosteus intermedius), Virgin River Desert Sucker, Catostomus clarkii utahensis, and the Meadow Valley Wash Desert Sucker, Catostomus clarkii (unnamed).Some ichthyologists regarded these as members of the genus Pantosteus, but later authors regard Pantosteus as a subgenus of Catostomus. There are suggestions of hybridization between Catostomus clarkii and Catostomus insignis.
External links
- "Catostomus clarkii" ITIS
- Fishbase
- "Catostomus clarkii" NatureServe search with "Catostomus clarkii" as search term.