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Green Sucker
Pantosteus virescens
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): GNR
State (S-rank): SNR
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Species range
This species occurs in the Weber River from the Echo Reservoir Dam down stream through Ogden. Additionally populations can be found in certain streams in the Raft River and Goose Creek mountains in the very Northwest corner of the state. It is also assumed that they may occur in the Bear River in portions of Rich, Summit, and Cache counties as they occur in parts of the Bear River in neighboring Wyoming and Idaho.
Migration
The Green Sucker is known to make seasonal migrations both up and downstream where they will congregate on spawning substrate in the spring during high flows. Following spawning it is assumed that they migrate back to deep pools to ride out the warm temperatures of summer and low flows of winter. For this reason connected habitats are important to this species. UDWR biologists have observed migrating individuals traveling as far as 8 miles upstream to their spawning congregations in the Weber River.
Food habits
The Green Sucker feeds on periphyton (a mixture of microbiological life and algae found on hard surfaces like rocks) by using their specially developed mouth parts that contain a hard cartilaginous ridge to allow them to scrape at the surface of rocks.
Reproductive characteristics
Colorado River Cutthroat Trout migrate to streams with proper spawning gravel in the spring. Females will build redds and deposit eggs, which are then fertilized by males. Eggs hatch in about four to five weeks, and the fry emerge from the gravel, finding refuge in slow-moving waters.
Threats or limiting factors
The greatest threats the Green Sucker face are the damming and modification of the rivers they inhabit as well as drought. Their life history requires multiple habitat types. Barriers to migration created by dams and other water structures prevent Green sucker from moving between differeing habitat types that are required for different aspects of their life history.
