The Catostomidae are the suckers of the
order Cypriniformes
Cypriniformes is an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches, and relatives. Cypriniformes is an Order within the Superorder Ostariophysi consisting of "Carp-like" Ostariophysins. This order contains 11-12 families, ...
, with about 78 species in this
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of freshwater
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing 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. Approximately 95% of li ...
es. The Catostomidae are almost exclusively native to North America. The only exceptions are ''
Catostomus catostomus
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 rive ...
,'' found in both North America and Russia, and ''
Myxocyprinus asiaticus
The Chinese high-fin banded shark (''Myxocyprinus asiaticus'') is a popular freshwater aquarium fish '' found only in China. In the
Ozarks
The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
they are a common food fish and a festival is held each year to celebrate them. ''
Ictiobus cyprinellus
''Ictiobus'', also known as buffalofish or simply buffalo, is a genus of freshwater fish native to North America, specifically the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Guatemala. They are the largest and longest-lived of the North American suckers ...
'' can reach an age up to 112 years, making it the oldest known freshwater
teleost
Teleostei (; Greek ''teleios'' "complete" + ''osteon'' "bone"), members of which are known as teleosts ), is, by far, the largest infraclass in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes, containing 96% of all extant species of fish. Tel ...
.
Description and biology
The mouths of these fish are most commonly located on the underside of their head (
subterminal), with thick, fleshy lips. Most species are less than in length, but the largest species (''
Ictiobus
''Ictiobus'', also known as buffalofish or simply buffalo, is a genus of freshwater fish native to North America, specifically the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Guatemala. They are the largest and longest-lived of the North American sucker ...
'' and ''
Myxocyprinus'') can surpass . They are distinguished from related fish by having a long
pharyngeal bone in the throat, containing a single row of teeth.
Catostomids are most often found in rivers, but can be found in any freshwater environment. Their food ranges from detritus and bottom-dwelling organisms (such as crustaceans and worms), to surface insects, crayfish, small terrestrial vertebrates, and other fish.
Fossil record
Catostomidae have been uncovered and dated to the
Middle Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "dawn ...
in
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
and
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...
. An enormous gap (36.2 million years) in the fossil record occurs from the
Late Eocene
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "daw ...
to
Early Pleistocene
The Early Pleistocene is an unofficial sub-epoch in the international geologic timescale in chronostratigraphy, being the earliest division of the Pleistocene Epoch within the ongoing Quaternary Period. It is currently estimated to span the time ...
.
As food
![Northern hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Northern_hogsucker_Hypentelium_nigricans.jpg)
They can be taken by many fishing methods, including
angling
Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook or "angle" (from Old English ''angol'') attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniqu ...
and
gigging
Gigging is the practice of hunting fish or small game with a gig or similar multi-pronged spear. Commonly harvested wildlife include freshwater suckers, saltwater flounder, and small game, such as frogs. A gig can refer to any long pole which ...
. Often, species such as ''
Catostomus commersonii
The white sucker (''Catostomus commersonii)'' is a species of freshwater cypriniform fish inhabiting the upper Midwest and Northeast in North America, but it is also found as far south as Georgia and as far west as New Mexico. The fish is commo ...
'' and ''
Hypentelium nigricans
The northern hogsucker (''Hypentelium nigricans'') is a freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Catostomidae, the suckers. It is native to the United States and Canada where it is found in streams and rivers. It prefers clear, fast-fl ...
'' are preferred for eating. They can be canned, smoked, or fried, but small incisions often must be made in the flesh (termed "scoring") before frying to allow small internal bones to be palatable. Suckers were an important source of food for Indigenous Americans across the continent. Many fishing methods were employed with the most elaborate being stone fish traps constructed on spawning rivers, remnants of these traps can be seen today in
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park is a state park of California in the United States. It is located in remote northeastern Shasta County and is only accessible to the public by boat. where the
Achomawi
Achomawi (also Achumawi, Ajumawi and Ahjumawi), are the northerly nine (out of eleven) bands of the Pit River tribe of Palaihnihan Native Americans who live in what is now northeastern California in the United States. These 5 autonomous ban ...
people trapped
Sacramento sucker
The Sacramento sucker (''Catostomus occidentalis'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae. It is primarily found in California with some populations extending into Oregon and Nevada. They inhabit a diverse range of habitats f ...
s. In the west these relationships became even more important after the decline in salmon runs due to damming and
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
, some groups of native people relied on seasonal sucker runs for a significant amount of their food until the 1950s.
In China there is a significant
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
industry dedicated to raising ''
Myxocyprinus asiaticus
The Chinese high-fin banded shark (''Myxocyprinus asiaticus'') is a popular freshwater aquarium fish '' for food. Historically they were an important component of wild fisheries on the
Yangtze
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in the Tanggula Mountains (Tibetan Plateau) and flows ...
, but the wild populations are under pressure from pollution,
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
and hydroelectric dam projects.
Recreational fishing
Some Catostomidae, especially those of ''
Ictiobus
''Ictiobus'', also known as buffalofish or simply buffalo, is a genus of freshwater fish native to North America, specifically the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Guatemala. They are the largest and longest-lived of the North American sucker ...
'' and ''
Moxostoma
''Moxostoma'', the redhorses or jumprocks, is a genus of North American ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae.
Species
* '' Moxostoma albidum'' ( Girard, 1856) (Longlip jumprock)
* '' Moxostoma anisurum'' (Rafinesque, 1820) (Silver redho ...
'', are the subject of major recreational fisheries while most are the subject of at least limited recreational fisheries. Throughout much of their range species are considered to be
rough fish Rough fish (or the slang trash fish or dirt fish) is a term used by some United States state agencies and anglers to describe fish that are less desirable to sport anglers within a defined region. The term usually refers to larger game fish species ...
. Suckers have historically been scapegoated for human environmental destruction and their impacts on popular fish species such as
Pacific salmon
''Oncorhynchus'' is a genus of fish in the family Salmonidae; it contains the Pacific salmon and Pacific trout. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek ὄγκος (ónkos, “lump, bend”) + ῥύγχος (rhúnkhos, “snout”), i ...
and
smallmouth bass. This has led to their widespread and unnecessary destruction at the hands of ignorant anglers.
Subfamilies, tribes, and genera
![Amyzon aggregatum SRIC SR 87-33-04 img1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Amyzon_aggregatum_SRIC_SR_87-33-04_img1.jpg)
* Subfamily Catostominae
** Tribe Catostomini
*** Genus ''
Catostomus
''Catostomus'' is a genus of fish belonging to the family Catostomidae, commonly known as suckers. Most members of the genus are native to North America, but '' C. catostomus'' is also found in Russia. Fish from different species of the genus ar ...
''
*** Genus ''
Chasmistes
''Chasmistes'' is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae.
They are native to freshwater habitats in the Western United States.
Several species are seriously threatened, and one has become extinct in recent history (a second extin ...
''
*** Genus ''
Deltistes''
*** Genus ''
Xyrauchen''
** Tribe Erimyzoninae
*** Genus ''
Erimyzon''
*** Genus ''
Minytrema''
**Tribe Thoburniinae
*** Genus ''
Hypentelium''
*** Genus ''
Thoburnia''
**Tribe Moxostomatini
*** Genus ''
Moxostoma
''Moxostoma'', the redhorses or jumprocks, is a genus of North American ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae.
Species
* '' Moxostoma albidum'' ( Girard, 1856) (Longlip jumprock)
* '' Moxostoma anisurum'' (Rafinesque, 1820) (Silver redho ...
''
* Subfamily Cycleptinae
** Genus ''
Cycleptus''
* Subfamily Ictiobinae
** Genus †''
Amyzon''
** Genus ''
Carpiodes
''Carpiodes'' is a genus of suckers found in freshwater in North America.
Characteristics
The fish in this genus have a long and hook-shaped dorsal fin. They have a silver body and a white to orange pelvic fin. They have a complete lateral l ...
''
** Genus ''
Ictiobus
''Ictiobus'', also known as buffalofish or simply buffalo, is a genus of freshwater fish native to North America, specifically the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Guatemala. They are the largest and longest-lived of the North American sucker ...
''
* Subfamily Myxocyprininae
** Genus ''
Myxocyprinus''
* other extinct genera
** Genus †''
Jianghanichthys
''Jianghanichthys'' is an extinct genus of cypriniform fish. It is also known as ''Osteochilus'' or Chan Han Fish.
Taxonomy
There are still disagreements as to the scientific classification, name and age of this species. However the body shape o ...
''
** Genus †''
Plesiomyxocyprinus''
** Genus †''
Vasnetzovia''
References
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q826807
Cypriniformes
Fish of North America
Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope
Fish of Asia
Ray-finned fish families