Shortnose Sucker
Encyclopedia
The shortnose sucker, Chasmistes brevirostris, is a rare species of fish in the family
Catostomidae
, the suckers. This fish is native to southern Oregon
and northern California
in the United States. This is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This fish can grow up to half a meter long. It has a large head and thin, fleshy lips, the lower of which is notched. It has been observed to reach 33 years of age. It becomes sexually mature between four and six years of age.
The preferable habitat for the fish is a turbid
, shallow, somewhat alkaline, well-oxygenated lake that is cool, but not cold, in the summer season.
The fish usually spawns in flowing river habitat, such as riffle
s, with gravelly or rocky substrates. It was at one time observed to spawn at lakeshores, but it apparently does this rarely today. The eggs incubate for two weeks and the juveniles hatch between April and June. The juveniles generally stay along the shoreline in vegetated or unvegetated habitat.
Today this fish can be found in Upper Klamath Lake
and its tributaries
, the Lost River
, Clear Lake
, the Klamath River
, and Gerber Reservoir of the Klamath Project
.
Threats to this species include the reduction of its spawning habitat, much of which was eliminated by the construction of dams in local waterways. Upper Klamath Lake experiences periodic blooms of cyanobacteria and reduction of dissolved oxygen in the water. Land alteration along the waterways has caused loss and degradation of the habitat.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Catostomidae
Catostomidae
Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...
, the suckers. This fish is native to southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States. This is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This fish can grow up to half a meter long. It has a large head and thin, fleshy lips, the lower of which is notched. It has been observed to reach 33 years of age. It becomes sexually mature between four and six years of age.
The preferable habitat for the fish is a turbid
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....
, shallow, somewhat alkaline, well-oxygenated lake that is cool, but not cold, in the summer season.
The fish usually spawns in flowing river habitat, such as riffle
Riffle
A Riffle is a short, relatively shallow and coarse-bedded length of stream over which the stream flows at higher velocity and higher turbulence than it normally does in comparison to a pool....
s, with gravelly or rocky substrates. It was at one time observed to spawn at lakeshores, but it apparently does this rarely today. The eggs incubate for two weeks and the juveniles hatch between April and June. The juveniles generally stay along the shoreline in vegetated or unvegetated habitat.
Today this fish can be found in Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south central Oregon in the United States. The largest freshwater body in Oregon, it is approximately 20 mi long and 8 mi wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls...
and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
, the Lost River
Lost River
-Communities:In Canada:*Lost River, QuebecIn the United States:*The town of Lost River, Idaho*The community of Lost River, West Virginia-Rivers:*A losing stream, that is, a river that decreases in volume as it flowsIn the United States:...
, Clear Lake
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern California consists of approximately of open water surrounded by over of upland bunchgrass, low sagebrush, and juniper habitat...
, the Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
, and Gerber Reservoir of the Klamath Project
Klamath Project
The Klamath Project was developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to supply farmers with irrigation water and farmland in the Klamath Basin.The two main sources supply water for the project are Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River...
.
Threats to this species include the reduction of its spawning habitat, much of which was eliminated by the construction of dams in local waterways. Upper Klamath Lake experiences periodic blooms of cyanobacteria and reduction of dissolved oxygen in the water. Land alteration along the waterways has caused loss and degradation of the habitat.