7144

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7144
• Author: Inslee, T. D.
• Title: Spawning and Hatching of the Razorback Sucker
• USFW Year: 1982
• USFW - Doc Type: Western Association of Fish & Game Agencies
• Copyright Material: NO

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In 1977, the Green River from Jensen to Green River, Utah, was
surveyed to gather information on the habitat requirements of juvenile
squawfish (Holden 1977). Sixteen species were collected from the Jensen-
Ouray reach (Table 1). In the 10 years since Vanicek's study in the
same area, the species composition has remained much the same. Holden
did find, however, that red shiners (Notropis lutrensis), white suckers
(Catostomus commersoni), and bony tail chubs were present, though the
suckers and chubs were very rare. The red shiner invaded the Green
River sometime after Vanicek's study and was well established by 1971
(Holden and Stalnaker 1975). Holden classified the Colorado squawfish
as rare, which is similar to Vanicek's "occasional" so that no real
change occurred in the squawfish abundance. Razorback suckers were
absent from 1977 collections in the Jensen-Ouray area. Other fish
caught included channel catfish, green sunfish, and walleye.
A recent study of the catostomid fishes native to the Green River
included samples at Horseshoe Bend, Ouray, and Sand Wash (McAda 1977).
The capture of two adult squawfish was recorded at the Sand Hash and
Horseshoe Bend stations. ^ single razorback was caught at Sand Wash,
but none at Ouray or Horseshoe Bend. However, McAda attributed this
not to the absence of the fish, but to ineffective sampling. Only two
species of game fish, the walleye and smallmouth bass, were reported
by ~kAda.
Seethaler (1978) collected field data and compiled published and
unpublished data on the squawfish as a part of a report on the life
history and ecology of this species. He concluded that the Green

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