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9 <br />population suggest a population of about 500-1000 individuals (Lanigan and Tyus 1989; <br />Modde et al. 1996) with very limited recruitment (Moode et al. 1996). The basin-wide <br />decline in distribution and abundance of the razorback sucker has been attributed to <br />habitat loss and modification as well as predation on early life stages by non-native fishes <br />(Carlson and Muth 1989). <br />Razorback sucker are large (commonly 400-700 mm total length) and long-lived <br />(30-40 year lifespan) fish (Minckley 1983; McCarthy and Minckley 1987) that evolved in <br />the highly variable hydrologic conditions of the pristine Colorado River Basin (Minckley <br />1983; Lanigan and Tyus 1989; Bestgen 1990). The species derives its name from a <br />prominent dorsal ridge found in adults. Wick (1997) suggested that the dorsal ridge acts <br />as a keel and works in conjunction with large pectoral fins to provide stability when <br />feeding in low-velocity backwaters and floodplains. Floodplain habitats and other warm <br />backwater areas are important as nursery areas for juvenile fish and feeding areas for <br />adult fish (Tyus 1987, 1990; Modde 1997; Wick 1997; Wydoski and Wick 1998). <br />Although razorback sucker are adapted to and frequently collected in lacustrine-like <br />environments (Stanford 1994), other habitats used by adult razorback sucker vary widely <br />and include runs, eddies, and pools (Tyus 1987; Tyus and Karp 1990; Modde and Wick <br />1997). Diet for all life stages varies but is typically plankton, algae, invertebrates, and <br />detritus (Vanicek 1967; Marsh 1987; Muth et al. 1998). Adults congregate and spawn on <br />the ascending limb of the hydrograph (Stanford 1994) at water temperatures ranging from <br />10 to 18 degrees C (Tyus 1987). In the middle Green River, Muths et al. (1998) <br />described the spawning period generally as early or mid May through late May or early <br />June. During spawning eggs are usually deposited in the interstices of gravel or cobble