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U.S. FISH AND VILDLIFE SERVICE Fish & Wildlife Service For more information contact: Public Affairs U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 P.O. Box 25486, DFC Denver, CO 80225 303-236-7904 Razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texsnus) 3 Feet Status: o Listed as endangered by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1991 o Endangered under Colorado law since 1976 o. Listed as "protected" in Utah since 1973 o On Arizona list of threatened and endangered species since 1975 a Listed as rare by California since 1971 a Listed as rare by Nevada since 1969 Q. On New Mexico list of threatened and endangered wildlife since 1975 o A recavery plan is in preparatian Descriotion: One of the largest suckers in Narth America, the razsrback sucker can grow to. mare the 13 paunds and lengths exceeding 3 feet. The razarback sucker is brawnish-green with a yellaw to. white-calared belly and has an abrupt, bony, keel-edged hump an its back just behind the head. Razarback suckers have been knawn to live 20- 50 years. This fish is thaught to. have evolved more that 4 millian years ago.. Razarback sucker stocks consist predominately af old fish, and they remain in the wild only because of the longevity inherent in this species. Distribution: The razarback sucker was ance ane af the most abundant and widespread fish In the mainstream rivers thraughaut mast af the Calarada River Basin fram Wyaming to. Mexico.. In the upper Calarada River Basin, it is now faund in the Green River in Utah, the Vampa River in Colarado, and in Calarado river near Grand Junctian, Calarada. Small papulatians also. exist in the Dirty Devil, San Juan and Calarada River "arms" af Lake Pawell. The largest remaining papulatian of razarback sucker accurs in Lake Mahave in the Lawer Basin. In the Lower Basin, razorbacks have also. been faund In Lake Mead and the Colarada River. Reintraductian efforts also. have been made In several Arizona tributaries to. the Calarado River. Habitat: These fish spawn in the spring with rising water levels and increasing temperatures. The fish mave into. flaaded areas in early spring and then make spawning migratians as they became repraductively active. Depending an the water temperature and ath_~ enviranmental cues, spawning can take place as early as November ar as late as June. In nanrepraductive periads" adult razarback suckers accupy a variety af habitat types. These include impounded and riverine areas and habitats represented by : eddies, backwaters, gravel pits. flaoded bottomlands. flooded mauths of tributary streams, slow runs, sandy riffles, and others. After hatching, the yaung prefer shallow nearshore habitats and then disperse to deeper water areas as they graw.