Longnose sucker - Environment and Conservation

Long-nosed Sucker
Catastomous catastomous

Status
Located in Labrador, but not on the Island of Newfoundland.

Habitat
Usually occurs in clear, cold, deep water of lakes and tributary streams.

Range
Found in all provinces throughout Canada.

Food
Feeds on invertebrates.

Appearance
Dark olive or gray, with reflections or dark gray irregular blotches above, and white or cream below; distinguished by its long snout.

Breeding Biology
Spawns in the spring, migrating to streams or shallow areas in lakes. Enters spawning streams as soon as temperatures exceed 5⁰C, usually in mid-April or mid-May, and generally spawns a few days before the White Sucker. Both White and Long-nosed Suckers spawn in the same areas. The Long-nosed Sucker moves up streams, usually in the dark. Spawning takes place in six to 11-inch deep stream waters. One female will move into a group of two to four males, which clasp her with their fins, or rub against her with their anal fins. The actual act only lasts three to five seconds and will occur four to 60 times per hour.

After spawning, the sexes separate. They don’t build a nest, and no parental care is given. Eggs are adhesive in nature. Females are capable of producing between 15, 000 to 60, 000 eggs each. The entire spawning period is short and after five days, spawning runs begins to dwindle. During this run roughly 10 to 25 per cent of spawning adults will die. Eggs will begin to hatch within eight to 10 days, but generally hatching takes two weeks. This process varies according to water temperature.