Hobbies And Interests
Longnose Sucker
The longnose sucker is a freshwater fish that is native to Colorado's East Slope region. It can be found in both lakes and streams. They range in color from brown to a dark green and have an elongated, cylindrical body with a large, thick upper lip and an indented lower lip, giving their mouths the distinctive sucker shape. They can grow up to 30 inches and weigh up to 4 lbs.
Rio Grande Sucker
The Rio Grande sucker was one of the native fish species that fell victim to predation from the northern pike. However, it is still present in many of Colorado's smaller freshwater streams that have gravelly bottoms. An adult Rio Grande sucker is 4 to 6 inches long and brown in color with a distinctive "blotchy" appearance. It serves as a bait fish for larger game like the pike.
Suckermouth Minnow
Another of Colorado's suckerfish prized as bait for other species is the suckermouth minnow. It's found mainly in the South Platte and Arkansas River basins in shallow areas with sandy bottoms. It grows to a length of 2 to 5 inches and has a grayish color with black highlights. This species is becoming rare.
Razorback Sucker
A larger variety of suckerfish native to Colorado is the razorback sucker. Although the only breeding population of this species is found near Grand Junction, it is currently in the process of being stocked in the Green, Colorado, Gunnison and San Juan rivers. An adult razorback sucker can grow to be 3 feet long. It is yellow to bronze in color and has a distinctive sharp rise in its skeletal structure behind its head.