Fish

Santa Ana Sucker (Catostomus santaanae)
The Santa Ana Sucker is an endemic species native to Southern California.  The fish is dark grey on the top and silvery white on the bottom.  The sucker feeds on diatoms and algae and often scrapes rocks to find its food.  On occasion the sucker will eat insect larvae near the water’s surface.

Several conservation organizations have opposed projects in the Santa Ana River that would be a detriment to the sucker.  Found in the Santa Ana River, Southern California’s largest watershed, and other local rivers the Santa Ana Sucker is vulnerable to extinction because so many of our rivers have been lined with concrete channels.