9576

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9576
• Author: Utah Department of Natural Resources.
• Title: Conservation and Management Plan for Three Fish Species in Utah - Adressing needs for Roundtail Chub ‎(Gila robusta)‎, Bluehead Sucker ‎(Catostomus discobolus)‎, and Flannelmouth Sucker ‎(Catostomus latipinnis)‎.
• USFW Year: 2006.
• USFW - Doc Type: Salt Lake City, UT.
• Copyright Material: NO

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natives cannot survive in the presence of any nonnatives and thus recommend management
options to this effect (Clarkson et al. 2005).
~ Species Overview

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The three fish species are all in the order Cypriniformes. Roundtail chub (Figure 2-3) are in the
family Cyprinidae, the minnows. Flannelmouth sucker (Figure 2-4) and bluehead sucker (Figure
2-5) are in the family Catostomidae, the suckers.
Common characteristics of endemic, large-river fish
including the three fish species, are: 1) fusiform
bodies, 2) humped or keeled dorsal surfaces (only
present in the endangered Colorado River species,
not the three species), 3) leathery skins with
embedded scales, and 4) large, often falcate, fins.
Such morphological features, combined with
relatively long life spans, are thought to be
Figure 2-3 Adult roundtail chub (Gila robustal
adaptations to the harsh, unpredictable
physical environment of the Colorado River
Basin (Bezzerides and Bestgen 2002,
Minckley 1991, Scoppettone 1988, Stearns
1993). All three species reach relatively
large sizes (ca. 300 - 500 mm), are
relatively long-lived, and are thought to
require only sporadic recruitment to
Figure 2-4 Adult flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus maintain population stability. Of the three
latipinnis) fish species, flannelmouth sucker can
demonstrate long-range movement (ca. hundreds of stream miles) throughout the course of their
lives, which is not generally observed for the other two species (Bezzerides and Bestgen 2002).
The two catostomids are primarily benthic feeders (Banks 1964; Childs et al. 1998; Grabowski
and Hiebert 1989; Greger and Deacon 1988;
Minckley 1973; Muth and Snyder 1995), whereas
adult roundtail chub are frequently omnivorous
and can be piscivorous and insectivorous as large
juveniles and adults (Bestgen 1985; Karp and Tyus
1990; Koster 1957; McDonald and Dotson 1960;
Neve 1976; Schreiber and Minckley 1981; ltinne
1992; Tyus and Minckley 1988; Vanicek and
Kramer 1969). Additional life history
characteristics, distribution and abundance have
been described in numerous texts and publications
for roundtail chub (Bestgen and Propst 1989, Figure 2-5 Adult bluehead sucker
Brouder et al. 2000, Voeltz 2002), flannelmouth (Catostomus discobolus)
sucker (Chart 1987, Douglas and Marsh 1998, McKinney et al. 1999), and bluehead sucker (e.g.,
Bestgen 2000, Cavalli 1999, Holden and Minckley 1980, McAda 1977, McAda and Wydoski
1983). Bluehead sucker are also discussed in Brunson and Christopherson (2001), Jackson
(2001), Mueller et al. (1998), and Valdez (1990).
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