Longnose sucker

Longnose sucker
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Cypriniformes
Family:Catostomidae
Genus:Catostomus
Species: C. catostomus
Binomial name
Catostomus catostomus
Subspecies

C. c. catostomus
C. c. lacustris

Synonyms
  • Cyprinus catostomus Forster, 1773
  • Cyprinus rostratus Tilesius, 1813
  • Catostomus longirostrum Lesueur, 1817
  • Catostomus hudsonius Lesueur, 1817
  • Cyprinus hudsonius (Lesueur, 1817)
  • Catostomus communis Lesueur, 1817
  • Catostomus forsterianus Richardson, 1823
  • Catostomus aurora Agassiz, 1850
  • Catostomus griseus Girard, 1856
  • Catostomus nanomyzon Mather, 1886
subdivision_ranks = Subspecies

The longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) is a species of cypriniform freshwater fish in the Catostomidae family. 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).

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 typically 15 to 25 inches (38 to 64 cm) long and weigh between 1 and 2 pounds (0.45 and 0.91 kg).

Longnose suckers are easily confused with white suckers (Catostomus commersoni), which appear very very similar. However, longnose suckers can be distinguished by their comparatively finer scales.[2]

Ecology and use

The longnose sucker inhabits cold, clear waters. 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. They are fished for game and food and also used as bait to catch the larger predators.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe. 2014. Catostomus catostomus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T62192A3109321. Retrieved 7 May 2018
  2. ↑ "White Sucker, Catostomus commersoni and Longnose Sucker, Catostomus catostomus". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. State of Michigan. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
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