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• Paris River Fish Monitoring Annual Report Hoffnagle 1997b). One hundred eleven juvenile (33 - 61 mm) bluehead suckers were captured in June 1994 (Figure 4). Bluehead suckers are common in the Colorado River downstream from the Little Colorado River (60.6 river miles below the Paris River) where they spawn in all of the major tributaries and most of the smaller ones (Arizona Game and Fish Department 1996a). It is unknown why they are rare above the Little Colorado River. In the Paris River, it may be due to the fine, shifting sediments of this tributary. However, Nankoweap Creek (51.3 river miles below the Paris River) would appear ideal for bluehead suckers. Flannelmouth Sucker Young-of--the-year flannelmouth suckers were captured at all sampling sites (Figure 3). Flannelmouth sucker catch was greatest in June, when 53 YOY were captured at a rate of 3.6 fish / 100 m2 seined and many additional fish were observed in small sides channels and pockets of low velocity water (Table 6; Figure 5). These fish ranged in length from 18 - 36 mm and weighed from 0.1 - 0.4 g. (Tables 7 and 8). In July, three days after the first monsoon flood of the summer, only two YOY were captured and no more YOY were captured the remainder of the year. The lack of flannelmouth suckers in the Paris River in November and December may be due to the Paris being colder than the Colorado River at this time of year. Adult Fannelmouth suckers were captured in the mouth of the Paris River in August, September and October (Figures 3 and 5; Table 6). These fish ranged in length from 430 - S50 mm and in weight from 694 - 1614 g (Tables 7 and 8) and included several that were ~ tuberculate, indicating the possibility of a fall spawning period for these fish. Tuberculate flannehnouth suckers were also captured in Havasu Creek in October (M. Douglas, Arizona State University, personal communication). Arizona Game and Fish Department (1996a) has documented fall spawning by bluehead suckers in Crystal Creek and I observed larval suckers in Crystal Creek in September and October 1998. It appeazs that some flannelmouth suckers may be induced to spawn in the fall, as well. In all of these cases, the spawning fish have come from the mainstem Colorado River to spawn in a tributary. It may be that monsoon flooding induces this behavior, but this certainly warrants more investigation. Thieme (1997) estimated that growth of YOY flannelmouth sucker in the Paris River was 0.52 mm /day. However, estimates based on wild fish ca.n be misleading due to death of • 12 Arizona Crame & Fish Depertrnent Ho6nagle 1999, Paris River 1998 Annual Report