Spotted Sucker
FISH PROFILE
COMMON NAME
Spotted Sucker
Scientific name
Minytrema melanops
FAMILY
Catostomidae
LENGTH
Up to 19 inches
DIET
Adult insects and larvae, eaten off of the river bottom with their downturned mouth
FISH PROFILE
COMMON NAME
Spotted Sucker
Scientific name
Minytrema melanops
FAMILY
Catostomidae
LENGTH
Up to 19 inches
DIET
Adult insects and larvae, eaten off of the river bottom with their downturned mouth
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Spotted suckers have rows of square, black-brown spots along the bottom of the exposed scale. These fish are mostly bronze/green or a copper/silver color, and have olive/grey colored dorsal, caudal and anal fins. Their primary characteristics include a downturned “sucker” mouth and an angular dorsal fin.
RANGE, HABITAT, and BEHAVIOR
Spotted suckers are widely distributed across the central and eastern U.S. with the exception of the southern areas of Florida. They will mostly likely be seen swimming or feeding near the bottom, feeding on mollusks and aquatic insects.
FUN FACTS
Due to their sensitivity to poor water quality and high turbidity, spotted suckers have been eliminated from some Florida streams. Spring-fed rivers offer the pristine water quality that can maintain this species.
Spotted suckers have no teeth in their mouths, but instead have pharyngeal teeth. This is why they rely on sucking prey into their protractible mouths.