Transcript Catostomidae Suckers - Michigan Department of Natural

Identification of Nongame
Fishes Workshop
Michigan AFS
Lake Superior State University
March 3-4, 2008
Presented by Kevin Wehrly
Institute for Fisheries Research
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and
University of Michigan
Acknowledgement
All photographs were taken by John Lyons
and accessed from www.WiscFish.com
Catostomidae
Suckers
Catostmid characteristics
• Single dorsal fin
• Fins without spines
• Lack teeth in the mouth
• Lips fleshy with sensory
papillae or plicae
Most common species
• White sucker
• Hogsucker
• Redhorse
(6 species)
White sucker
• Head between eyes rounded
• Scales smaller and of varying size along body
Hog sucker
• Head between eyes depressed
• 4 to 6 dark saddle
bands on body
Redhorse (6 species)
• Scales large and uniform in size
• Head rounded; body lacking saddles
• Red in lower fins
Redhorse
Grey tail
• Black
– Lateral line scales 44-46
– Lower lip forms obtuse angle
Red tail
• Shorthead
– Head short
– Falcate dorsal fin
• Golden
– Lateral line scales 40-43
– Lower lip forms obtuse angle
• River (threatened)
– Molar-like pharyngeal teeth
• Silver
– Rounded dorsal fin
– Lower lip forms acute angle
• Greater
– Spot at base of each scale
– Caudal peduncle scale
count 16
Golden redhorse
• Grey tail
• Lateral line scales 40-43
• Lower lip forms obtuse angle
Silver redhorse
• Grey tail
• Rounded dorsal fin
• Lower lip forms acute angle
Shorthead redhorse
• Red tail
• Head length small compared to body length
• Falcate dorsal fin
Other suckers
• Longnose sucker—related to white sucker
• Spotted sucker
• Chubsucker
• Quillback
Deeper bodied
Long dorsal fin
• Buffalo
White sucker
Longnose sucker
• Snout not past upper lip
• Scales moderate <75 in lateral
line
• Tuberous snout past upper lip
• Scales small >80 in lateral line
• Red stripe in breeding
Spotted sucker
• Black spot at base of each scale forming rows
• Larger southern MI rivers
Chubsuckers
• Mouth small
and sub-terminal
• No lateral line
Juvenile showing dark stripe
• 35-38 lateral scale rows=lake chubsucker
• 39-44 lateral scale rows=creek chubsucker (endangered)
Quillback
• Anterior dorsal fin rays long
• Body silvery gold
• Ventral mouth
• Great lakes and large southern MI rivers
Buffalo
• Anterior dorsal fin rays long—not as long as quillback
• Body drab or gray
• Mouth terminal = bigmouth buffalo
• Mouth sub-terminal = black buffalo
Great lakes and large southern MI rivers