Longnose sucker
The longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) is a species of cypriniform freshwater fish in the family Catostomidae. It is native to North America from the northern United States to the top of the continent. It is also found in Russia in rivers of eastern Siberia, and thus one of only two species of sucker native to Asia (the other is the Chinese Myxocyprinus asiaticus).
| Longnose sucker | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Catostomidae |
| Genus: | Catostomus |
| Species: | C. catostomus |
| Binomial name | |
| Catostomus catostomus J. R. Forster, 1773 | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Description
The body of the longnose sucker is long and round with dark olive or grey sides and top and a light underside. They are up to 64 cm (25 in) in total length and weigh up to 3.3 kg (7.3 lb).[3]
Longnose suckers are easily confused with white suckers (Catostomus commersoni), which appear very similar. However, longnose suckers can be distinguished by their comparatively finer scales.[4]
Distribution and ecology
The longnose sucker inhabits cold, clear waters, including lakes, pools, rivers and streams, and occasionally also brackish waters. In North America, it ranges north from the Columbia, Delaware, Missouri and Monongahela river basins, as well as the Great Lakes basin.[3] The Russian population, which sometimes is referred to as the Siberian sucker (C. c. rostratus), is found in the Yana, Indigirka, Alazeya and Kolyma river basins.[5]
It is a bottom-feeding fish, eating aquatic plants, algae, and small invertebrates. They are preyed upon by larger predatory fish, such as bass, walleye, trout, northern pike, muskellunge and burbot.
Relationship with humans
They are fished for game and food and also used as bait to catch the larger predators. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world record sits at 6 pounds 9 ounces (3.0 kg) taken from the St. Joseph River in Michigan on December 2, 1989 by angler Ben Knoll.[6][7]: 101–102
References
- Bogutskaya, N. (2021). "Catostomus catostomus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T62192A159616602. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T62192A159616602.en. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- Bonnichsen, Bill; Breckenridge, Roy M. (1982). Cenozoic Geology of Idaho. Idaho Department of Lands, Bureau of Mines and Geology.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Catostomus catostomus" in FishBase. May 2019 version.
- "White Sucker, Catostomus commersoni and Longnose Sucker, Catostomus catostomus". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. State of Michigan. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- Dyldin, Y.V.; L. Hanel; R. Fricke; A.M. Orlov; V.I. Romanov; J. Plesnik; E.A. Interesova; D.S.Vorobiev; M.O. Kochetkova (2020). "Fish diversity in freshwater and brackish water ecosystems of Russia and adjacent waters". Publ. Seto Mar. Biol. Lab. 45: 47–116. doi:10.5134/251251.
- "Sucker, Longnose". igfa.org. International Game Fish Association. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- "2021 Master Angler Awards" (PDF). Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
External links
- Rook, Earl J.S. (15 October 1999). "Catostomus catostomus Longnose Sucker". Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky...The Natural History of the Northwoods. The Swanson Party: A Boundary Waters Compendium. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016.
- Seaman (5 February 2002). "Longnose Sucker Catostomus catostomus". Sea Grant Fish of the Great Lakes. University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. Archived from the original on 20 January 2008.
Media related to Catostomus catostomus at Wikimedia Commons