Sacramento Sucker

Happy Uppal Mrs. Reed Wildlife

Common native fish in the lower Merced and Tuolumne river systems.

Found abundantly in Yosemite Valley, it is not native above the high waterfalls.

Sacramento Suckers are found in Tenaya Lake

Introduced along with trout during early fish planting operations H I S T O

R Y

A n a t o m y • To 24" (60 cm). Elongated, cylindrical. • Above olive green; yellowish below; red lateral stripe. Dorsal

fin longer than it is tall, positioned closer to tail than snout• Green to brown back, yellow-gold to white underside• Breeding fish develop red stripe on sides, both males and

females may develop breeding tubercles.• Single triangular dorsal fin; tail fin forked;• 3 widely spaced, equal-sized ventral fins: • low pectoral and pelvic fins at mid-body, • anal fin to rear. • Snout protrudes.• Thick, Fleshy lips

Distribution

Dark Blue: ProbableLight Blue: Possible

HABITAT

Rocks in clear streams

Lakes

Over Sand, Gravel

Consumes• Sacramento suckers have a diet

made up of mostly algae, invertebrates, and detritus.

What we do to them…

• They are occasionally taken by bait fishermen using worms, but they are usually discarded

• generally frowned upon by trout fishermen who accuse it of eating trout eggs or disturbing the stream bottom in which trout eggs have been laid.

Suckers In The News

Fun Facts

• Reproduce in Spring, Eggs hatch in a about a week to

two weeks.Mouth of this bottom -dwelling,

freshwater fish is adapted for sucking invertebrates on lake bottoms. • Suckers are believed to be of little harm

and the young suckers provide food for trout.