Cordilleran Sucker

Qw’á:ts

Castostomus bondi

Identification Tips:

• Mouth on bottom of head.
• Mouth has a shallow cleft between the lower lips, a deep notch at each corner, and a hardened sheath on the lower jaw.
• Dorsal fin: 10-12 rays
Maximum size approximately 25 cm

Conservation Status:

British Columbia	Canada		Natureserve
	COSEWIC	Species at Risk Act
Blue List	Threatened	None	GNR, S3

Information Source: BC Conservation Data Centre: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/

Life History:

• A very specialized feeder; scrapes algae and aquatic invertebrates from rocks using its chisel-like lower jaw
• Little is known about its biology in B.C.

Habitat:

• Found in various river habitats with rocky bottoms.

Range:

British Columbia
• A scattered distribution; Fraser River between Hope and Chilliwack, North Thompson River near Heffley, Similkameen River near Keremeos, and possibly in Salmo River (Kootenays)

Global
• In the west, from Sacramento River in California north to southern BC
• East of the Rocky Mountains (likely a different species) it occurs from Saskatchewan and Alberta through the Missouri River system

Comments:

• Formerly considered a subspecies of Mountain Sucker Catostomus platyrhynchus

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Primary Information Source:
McPhail, J.D. 2007. The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia. University of Alberta Press. Edmonton, Alberta.