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Photo by Mike Ottenbacher
Photo Courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Flannelmouth Sucker
Catostomus latipinnis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G3G4
State (S-rank): S3
External links
Species range
The Flannelmouth Sucker's range in utah includes the upper colorado river basin and the virgin river basin. It occurs in the mainstem of both of these river systems as well as most of the main tributaries.
Migration
Route: Adult flannelmouth suckers travel upstream from their main river habitats, such as the Green, San Juan, or Virgin rivers, into perennial and intermittent tributaries. The migration typically begins in the spring, from March through June. Migration timing is influenced by a combination of factors, including photoperiod (daylight hours), water temperature, and river discharge. The upstream journey is specifically for spawning, which occurs in shallow areas over clean gravel and cobble substrates. Tributaries often provide better spawning conditions than the more altered mainstem rivers, where dams have changed flow and sediment patterns. Evidence from tagging studies indicates that these fish exhibit high site fidelity, meaning many individuals return to the same tributary to spawn year after year. Low water flow can sometimes block access to preferred spawning areas.
Habitat
Sigler and Miller (1963) wrote: "Adults typically live in pools of streams and large rivers. These may vary from about six to 150 feet in average width, usually have little or no vegetation, are clear to murky, and have flows of up to 1800 cubic feet per second Depths of capture have varied from one to six feet with water depths up to 20 feet. The bottom is varied but often consists of rocks, gravel, or mud. Young fish live in moderately swift to slow marginal waters of swiftly-flowing streams, in much shallower water than do adults." McAda (1977), who studied this species in the upper Colorado River basin, reported: "Adult flannelmouth suckers were collected from all habitats (riffles, runs and pools), at all stations during the present investigation, but were most abundant in pools
Food habits
The Flannelmouth Sucker forages by using its thick, fleshy lips to feel for and collect food from the river bottom. The species is an opportunistic feeder, meaning its diet adjusts to what is most readily available in its habitat. This allows it to exploit different food sources depending on the season and environmental conditions. The Flannelmouth Sucker consumes a wide range of food items including: detritus, algae, invertebrates, and plants.
Reproductive characteristics
Flannelmouth Sucker utilize the same reproducive strategy as other native fish that live in the large rivers of the Colorado River Basin. They will migrate to spawning gravels in the spring where the eggs are deposited and fertilized in gravels. Once they hatch the larval fish will drift downstream carried by the current until they settle out in the warmer slower water of backwater channels or wetlands. The young then use these highly productive areas to facilitate their quick growth before they venture back into the main channel of the river as juveniles and adults.
Threats or limiting factors
Flow and other habitat alterations and habitat loss resulting from damming appear to be the main threats to Flannelmouth Sucker in Utah. Predation by introduced sport fishes also represents a threat to the persistence of flannelmouth sucker populations. This species is known to hybridize with other suckers such as the Razorback Sucker, (Hubbs and Miller 1953) and the introduced White Sucker.
