| Photo to come shortly! |
SANTA ANA SUCKER (Catostomus santaanae)
The Santa Ana sucker isn't a true sucker fish, the latter actually
attach themselves to rocks. Instead, the Santa Ana sucker has
large bumpy lips and swims close to the bottom of streams in order to
swallow detritus and algae. The original home range of the sucker
included the Santa Ana, San Gabriel and Los Angeles Rivers.
Unfortunately due to development the sucker now only is found in sixty
percent of its native range, mostly in portions of the Santa Ana River.
This fish does well in streams that are less than 22
feet wide, where there is clear, clean and moderately calm waters.
This fish does not do well in polluted or cloudy waters. In fact,
the sucker now only breeds in tributaries to the Santa Ana River due to
pollution. These tributaries include the Temescal Wash and San
Timeteo Wash. Normal length for the Santa Ana sucker is only seven
inches and they tend to live only two years. Males out number
females 2:1 and they are considered explosive breeders -- laying
approximately 4,400 to over 16,000 eggs at a time!
Periodic flood events seem to
have devastating consequences for the fish. Cattle also have
devastating repercussions for the Santa Ana sucker as they increase
the amount of ammonia and nitrate in the water, which in turn
increases the number of nitrifying bacteria which ultimately decreases
the amount of oxygen available in the water for the fish. Most
of the central Santa Ana watershed still is or at one time has been
used for dairy farms. In 1995, the Santa Ana sucker was listed by the
state as a Species of Special Concern. Specific conservation
efforts are underway to help maintain the species along the Santa Ana
River. |
