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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


California Nature: Sucker Fish


California is a large state, the 3rd largest in the U.S.A., and depending on where you go, can range broadly in habitat type and, also, climate. For this reason, California plays host to a huge variety of fish.

Fishes are aquatic vertebrates that have fins, gills and scales. Gills are the part of the respiratory system that provide surface area for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide under water. Fish are ectotherms, commonly referred to as 'cold-blooded', meaning their temperature is regulated by the temperature of their environment. They have a range of diets, being herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores. Some fish reproduce by laying eggs, while others reproduce by bearing live young.

California fish species reside in freshwater and coastal/marine waters. Freshwater fish are fishes that live at least part, if not all, of their lives in bodies of fresh water with a salinity of less than .05%. Forty-one percent of all known fish species are found in freshwater.
Sucker fish are found in California rivers and streams Sacramento suckers are capable of thriving in diverse conditions within streams, lakes, and mild estuarine environments. Most suckers are found in clear cool streams and in lakes at moderate elevations. Sacramento suckers often share waters with pikeminnow, roach, and hardhead. Young larvae typically begin their life in streams or lake tributaries by hiding and remaining in the gravel substrate. The post-larval and juvenile fish are often swept downstream in the current when they enter the main flow.

Sacramento suckers have a diet made up of mostly algae, invertebrates, and detritus. The larval suckers feed on detritus and browse the bottom in warm protected streams, while juvenile fish forage along the bottom of stream banks of these warm streams. Young fish may stay in this warm water for several years before moving into lakes or larger rivers. Adult fish typically rest or hold in the deeper water during the day and feed during the first and last hours of the day. The Sacramento suckers may occupy pools, runs, or riffles in area where vegetation or rocks provide cover from birds and other predators. Their diet consists mostly of diatoms and detritus, with invertebrates playing a smaller role.

Sacramento suckers tend to grow larger and more rapidly in warmer streams and lakes as opposed to streams that are cool year round. At age 4-6 Sacramento suckers become sexually mature and begin a spawning ritual that may involve a migration to a warmer and smaller stream. Suckers spawn in groups, sending fertilized eggs down into the substrate and out into the current. The eggs settle in gravel and slackwater areas, hatching after 2-4 weeks

Razorback suckers are listed as an endangered species and in California fail to have any remaining naturally propagating populations. Razorback suckers primarily inhabit large slow moving sections of river within the Colorado River drainage, though they also inhabit scattered lakes and basins. Razorback suckers are found in deep pools, oxbow lakes, and backwaters within a stream and may also move into reservoirs or gravel pits. During high flows the suckers have the keel and hump (acting like a spoiler) to help them resist being pulled downstream.
many California sucker fish like this one are endangered fish Razorback suckers are usually found above mud and sand and may have historically moved into the floodplain. Juvenile suckers tend to live in shallow water such as man-made canals and ditches. Larval suckers feed on detritus, diatoms and algae. As they grow they begin to consume rotifers and planktonic crustaceans. Eventually as they become more bottom oriented they feed on chironomid larvae and small insects. Adult suckers tend to swim in small schools and feed on the bottom of a stream. In lakes the suckers move into deeper water and feed on detritus, algae, zooplankton, and aquatic insect larvae.

Sexually mature males form loose shoals in spawning sites and await the females in November or December. Once the females arrive, the fish spawn for the next two months. Each female is surrounded by two or more males. Female suckers spawn repeatedly until they release a total of 36,000 to 140,000 eggs. The eggs stick to the substrate for the 1-2 week incubation period. The emergent larvae consume a yolk sac for another 7-12 days before drifting downstream. The larvae may thrive in isolated ponds or backwaters, but are often eaten when in the presence of alien predators.
 
 
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