The desert sucker or Gila Mountain sucker (Pantosteus clarkii), is a freshwater species of ray-finned fish in the sucker family, endemic to the Great Basin and the Colorado River Basin in the United States. It inhabits rapids and fast-flowing streams with gravelly bottoms. It is a bi-colored fish with the upper parts olive brown to dark green, and the underparts silvery-tan or yellowish. The head is cylindrical, tapering to a thick-lipped mouth on the underside. This fish can grow to 31 in (79 cm) in Arizona but is generally only about half this size elsewhere. Formerly placed in the genus Catostomus, it is now placed in the genus Pantosteus.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it venomous or poisonous?
We have no record of Desert Sucker being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Catostomus insignis
- Catostomus latipinnis
- Catostomus occidentalis
- Catostomus columbianus
- Catostomus catostomus
- Pantosteus platyrhynchus
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Cypriniformes
- Family
- Catostomidae
- Genus
- Pantosteus
- Species
- Pantosteus clarkii
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