Desert Sucker (Catostomus clarki)

The Desert Sucker or Catostomus clarki is a freshwater fish that is found in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico all around the Great Basin and the Colorado River Basin. Also known as the Gila Mountain Sucker, this fish can grow to about 31" in maximum lenght and can weigh just over 4lbs.

Desert Suckers have an olive brown coloration on the top half of their bodies, with a yellow underside. They have a very thick upper lip which is common of fish in the Sucker family. Their dorsal fin has 10 to 11 rays in it.

Desert Suckers are known to be very tasty, but do have floating bones which can cause a problem if not prepared properly. If you are fishing for Desert Suckers you should take into consideration the fact that they feed on algae, aquatic insects and larvae. Using worms or crickets are often said to produce the best results.

These fish reach sexual maturity in just two years. Spawning occurs in gravely areas from February to July. Once hatched these fish tend to inhabit areas in streams that have deep pools often around rocky areas.

If you have any additional information about the Desert Sucker including recipes or fishing tips please leave us a comment.

Shorthead Redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)

The Shorthead Redhorse or Moxostoma macrolepidotum is a freshwater fish that is found in North America in places east of the Rocky Mountains and into places of Canada. This fish has a red tail fin and a red outline on its dorsal fin. This fish is part of the sucker family so it is often found on the bottom feeding on mollusks, insects, plant matter and crustaceans.

The Shorthead Redhorse goes by a few different names including Shorthead Mullet, Bigscale Sucker, Common Mullet, Redfin, Common Redhorse, Des Moines Plunger, Mullet, Northern Redhorse, Red Sucker and the Redhorse Mullet. These fish have a slender body that can grow to about 24" and weigh up to 8lbs. They have large coarse scales that cover their bodies. They can be distinguished from other suckers by these large scales and their bright red tail.

Spawning occurs in April around rubble or gravel and once the eggs are laid they are not guarded. They will hatch in about 5 days. These fish are edible, but are not considered to be the highest of quality.  You can check out a close relative of this fish the Greater Redhorse (Moxostoma valenciennesi) below in the video. 

If you have any additional information about the Shorthead Redhorse please leave us a comment below.

Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)

The Smallmouth Buffalo or Ictiobus bubalus is one of the largest sucker fish in the entire world growing to about 36" in length maximum and weighing in at an impressive 82lbs!  The only sucker fish that can grow bigger is its close relative the Bigmouth Buffalo.  These freshwater fish look similar, but you can always tell them apart by their mouths.  The mouth of the Smallmouth Buffalo is facing downward, typical of a sucker, while the mouth of the Bigmouth Buffalo faces forward.  The Smallmouth also has a much more slanted back than the Bigmouth.   

Another fish that is often confused with the Smallmouth Buffalo is various species of Carp.  The easy way to tell these fish apart is the lack of barbels on the Smallmouth.  The coloration of the Smallmouth Buffalo is often gray or olive with its underbelly being yellow or white.   

Smallmouth Buffalo fish are found exclusively in North America in places like Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan and Pennsylvania.  They go by a few different names depending on where you are including the Razorback Buffalo, Hump-Back Buffalo, River Buffalo, High-Back Buffalo, Roachback, Thick-Lipped Buffalo and the Channel Buffalo.  While they are considered edible, they are often used as fish food.

If you have any additional information of fishing tips for the Smallmouth Buffalo please share...

Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)

The Razorback Sucker or Xyrauchen texanus is arguably one of the ugliest freshwater fish in the world.  This ancient endangered species has a large and abrupt bump in between its dorsal fin and head.  This strange bump gives it another nickname, the Humpback Sucker.

These fish are found in Colorado and other areas in Western North America.  Razorback Suckers can grow to about 3-1/2' (1m) and can weigh up to 14lbs (6kg).  They are often brownish black with a yellowish color on their underbellies.  These Suckers can live quite a long time, over 40 years is not too uncommon.  Unfortunately, habitat destruction, introduction of new species and the rerouting of waterways has pushed this fish to the brink of extinction.  

The Razorback Sucker spawns in the later winter to early spring on the gravel bottom where the eggs easily attach.  One female will mate with as many as twelve males.  Once born, these freshwater fish feed on insect larvae, plankton and algae.   You can check out the Razorback Sucker in the video below...

One amazing fact about the Razorback Sucker is their "third eye".  Portions of this fish's retina is very receptive to UV rays.  Normally this fish is too deep for these rays to penetrate, but when the Razorback Sucker is in the shallow spawning they use this portion of their retina to flash reflected sunlight and warn other males to stay away.  They do this by rolling their eyes downward revealing this strange "third eye".

If you have any additional information or questions about the Razorback Sucker fish just leave us a comment below.