Catostomus

Catostomus is a genus of fish belonging to the family Catostomidae, commonly known as suckers. Most members of the genus are native to North America, but C. catostomus is also found in Russia. Fish from different species of the genus are known to readily hybridize with each other.[1]

Catostomus
Catostomus clarkii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Catostomidae
Tribe: Catostomini
Genus: Catostomus
Lesueur, 1817
Type species
Cyprinus catostomus
J. R. Forster, 1773
Species

See text.

Characteristics

The members of this genus have nearly cylindrical bodies. They have large, horizontal mouths, and their lips are very much papillose. They have complete lateral lines. They have from 54 to 124 scales, seven to 17 dorsal rays, usually seven anal rays, and 20 to 44 thin, unbranched rakers on their first gill arches. Their gas bladders have two chambers.[1]

The young of many of the species in the genus have three dark grey blotches along their sides.[1]

Species

Currently, 28 recognized species are in this genus:[2][3]

References
  1. Page, Lawrence M.; Burr, Brooks M. (2011). Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of North America North of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 308. ISBN 0547242069.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). Species of Catostomus in FishBase. February 2013 version.
  3. Smith, G.R., Stewart, J.D. & Carpenter, N.E. (2013): Fossil and recent mountain suckers, Pantosteus, and significance of introgression in catostomin fishes of Western United States. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, 743: 1-59.
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