White Sucker
Catastomus commersoni
Status
The white sucker is restricted to North America in its distribution.
It is widely distributed throughout Canada. In our province it occurs only in
Labrador.
Habitat
Wide range of habitats from rocky pools and riffles of headwaters to
larger lakes. Usually in small, clear, cool creeks and small to medium rivers.
Food
White suckers feed at night. The adult food
consists of insect larva, molluscs, and other invertebrates.
Appearance
Olive-brown to black above, often
dusky-edged scales with clear to dusky fins.
Breeding Biology
White suckers primarily spawn in the spring,
usually early May to early June. Adult white suckers migrate from lakes into
gravelly streams, when stream temperatures reach 100C. Spawning sites
are in shallow waters with a gravel bottom Adults will home to specific spawning
site. Thousands may migrate to the site at a particular period. Spawning usually
occurs at dusk and in the late evenings. On the spawning grounds two to four
males will crowd around a ripe female. Using their fins they will press against
the female. A spawning event will take about 3 to 4 seconds with the female
repeating the act 6 to 40 times in an hour. Egg numbers in females can range
between 36 000 to 50 000. No nest is built and no parental care is given. Adults
leave the spawning ground after 10 to 14 days. Eggs hatch in about 2 weeks.
Young remain in the gravel for 1 to 2 weeks and young migrate to the lake a
month after spawning.
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