Catostomus latipinnis
| Flannelmouth Sucker | |
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| File:Flannelmouth Sucker.jpg | |
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| Species: | C. latipinnis
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| Binomial name | |
| Catostomus latipinnis Baird & Girard, 1853
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The Flannelmouth Sucker, Catostomus latipinnis, is identified by its enlarged, lower lips. Historically, the Flannelmouth Sucker ranged in the Colorado River Basin, including parts of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, California, and Arizona; however, this species has been entirely extirpated from the Gila River Basin in Arizona.
Description
The Flannelmouth Sucker’s body is long, starting with a thick anterior that moves down to a thin posterior; respectively, this causes the head to be relatively short and thick. The lower lips are noticeably bulky, with thick and fleshy lobes. In addition, the Flannelmouth Sucker has large fins, but relatively small scales. Young fish are usually silvery-colored all over, but adults have a typical light gray or tan coloration (often with a lighter underside). Strangely, no bright colors have been found in populations of this species in Arizona, but are found in those from the Colorado basin. [1] Adult fish can also grow to a length of 0.5 m (19.7 in), and weigh about 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs).
Range
The Flannelmouth Sucker can be found in parts of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, California, and Arizona. In Arizona, this species is found in the Colorado River and its larger tributaries. In the mid 1970s, the Arizona Fish and Game Department introduced the fish below the Davis Dam, and the population still persists today. [2]
Habitat
While Flannelmouth Suckers are restricted to larger rivers, its larvae tend to live in shallow areas. [3] Larvae also like deeper water when they are not feeding. In addition, adult Suckers prefer great amounts of cover and shade during the daytime.
Diet
This species is known to eat inorganic material, planktonic organisms such as copepods, fiamentous algae and other macroinvertebrates by examining stomach contents of Flannelmouth Sucker larvae. [4]
Reproduction
Breeding season for the Flannelmouth Sucker occurs in the months of March through July. In Arizona, the fish tend to “run” upstream specifically to spawn, and then immediately leave towards the mainstream. Fins of both sexes often become orange during reproduction. [5]
Conservation
The Flannelmouth Sucker is an unprotected species—although not entirely endangered, the species faces many threats. These threats include alterations of river habitats (thermal and hydrologic) caused by hydroelectric dams; blockage of migration; and predation by introduced organisms. [6] In Arizona, the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992 reduced the random fluctuation of water releases from the nearby dam in Glen Canyon, and is still enforced today.
References
- ^ Minckley, W.L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix. pp. 145-146, 156-157.
- ^ Riley, L. 1995. Personal communication, inter-office memo to B. Spicer. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona.
- ^ Minckley, W.L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix. pp. 145-146, 156-157.
- ^ Clarkson, R.W. and A.T. Robinson. 1993. Little Colorado River native fishes. Chapter 4 in Arizona Game and Fish Department. Glen Canyon Environmental Studies Phase II 1992 Annual Report. Prepared for the Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Glen Canyon Environmental Studies, Flagstaff, AZ. Cooperative Agreement No. 9-FC-40- 07940.
- ^ Sublette, J.E., M.D. Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. pp. 202-204.
- ^ Chart, T.E. and E.P. Bergersen. 1992. Impact of mainstream impoundment on the distribution and movements of the resident flannelmouth sucker (Catostomidae: Catostomus latipinnis) population in the White River, Colorado. The Southwestern Naturalist 37:9- 15.