The shortnose sucker (''Chasmistes brevirostris'') is a rare species of fish in the

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 ...

Catostomidae The Catostomidae are the suckers of the order Cypriniformes, with about 78 species in this family of freshwater fishes. The Catostomidae are almost exclusively native to North America. The only exceptions are '' Catostomus catostomus,'' found in ...

, the suckers. This fish is native to southern

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

and northern

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

in the United States. It is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of the United States. This fish can grow up to half a meter long. It has a large head and thin, fleshy lips, the lower of which is notched. It has been observed to reach 33 years of age. It becomes sexually mature between four and six years of age.USFWS
''Chasmistes brevirostris'' Five-year Review.
July 2007. The preferable habitat for the fish is a

turbid Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. Fluids can ...

, shallow, somewhat alkaline, well-oxygenated lake that is cool, but not cold, in the summer season. The fish usually

spawns Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquat ...

in flowing river habitat, such as

riffle A riffle is a shallow landform in a flowing channel. Colloquially, it is a shallow place in a river where water flows quickly past rocks. However, in geology a riffle has specific characteristics. Topographic, sedimentary and hydraulic indica ...

s, with gravelly or rocky substrates. It was at one time observed to spawn at lakeshores, but it apparently does this rarely today. The eggs incubate for two weeks and the juveniles hatch between April and June. The juveniles generally stay along the shoreline in vegetated or unvegetated habitat. Today this fish can be found in

Upper Klamath Lake Upper Klamath Lake (sometimes called Klamath Lake) ( Klamath: ?ews, "lake" ) is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon in the United States. The largest body of fresh water by surface area in Oregon, it ...

and its

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

, the Lost River, Clear Lake, the

Klamath River The Klamath River (Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') flows through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second larges ...

, and Gerber Reservoir of the

Klamath Project The Klamath Project is a water-management project developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to supply farmers with irrigation water and farmland in the Klamath Basin. The project also supplies water to the Tule Lake National Wildlif ...

. Threats to this species include the reduction of its spawning habitat, much of which was eliminated by the construction of dams in local waterways. Upper Klamath Lake experiences periodic blooms of

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

and reduction of dissolved oxygen in the water. Land alteration along the waterways has caused loss and degradation of the habitat.''Chasmistes brevirostris''.
The Nature Conservancy. This and related fish were a major food source of local

tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

, and are still considered to be sacred animals. The shortnose sucker is known as ''Qapdo'' by the local Native American Nation, the

Klamath Tribes The Klamath Tribes, formerly the Klamath Indian Tribe of Oregon, are a federally recognized Native American Nation consisting of three Native American tribes who traditionally inhabited Southern Oregon and Northern California in the United St ...

.Lost River and Shortnose Sucker.
United States Fish and Wildlife Service. August 2010.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3756626 Catostomidae Fish of the Western United States Freshwater fish of the United States Fauna of California Modoc Plateau Modoc National Forest Natural history of Oregon Endemic fauna of the United States Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope Fish described in 1879 Endangered fish Endangered fauna of California Endangered fauna of the United States ESA endangered species