Fish Iowa - Fish Species - Sucker

Characteristics

The back and sides are blue-black or dark olive with brassy reflections. It has a white belly, small head and long sickle-shaped dorsal fin.

Foods

Aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans and plant material including algae, which they glean from the bottom in the typical vacuum-like manner

Expert Tip

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Details

The Blue Sucker is rarely found in fish collections in Iowa. It has never been documented in the upper reaches of our interior streams. Abundance has declined since the early 1900`s, but the species remains unprotected.

Blue Suckers prefer the deep, large rivers and usually live in the narrow chutes and swift channels where the current is moderate to swift over a bottom of gravel, sand and rocks. They are tolerant of high turbidity. Past records show this species made important spring runs up the Cedar River to the dam at Palisades State Park near Cedar Rapids, but  they have almost disappeared from this river stretch.

Little is known about the Blue Sucker life history in Iowa. Fisheries literature shows that an upstream spawning migration into riffle areas takes place in late April to early May at water temperatures from 50 to 60 degrees F. They are gregarious spawners broadcasting the semi-adhesive eggs over gravel and rubble bottoms directly in the current. Sexual maturity occurs at ages 2 and 3. 

Growth of this species has been documented only in the Cedar River in Wisconsin. Twelve fish in the study that ranged in age from 4 to 11 years averaged 3.5, 8.9, 14.8, 19.2, 21.1, 22.6, 24.0, 25.2, 26.2, 27.1 and 28.6-inches at the end of each year of life. 

Blue Suckers are unimportant as a sport fish species in Iowa, although they are taken occasionally by anglers. They are also netted rarely by commercial fishermen in the Great Border Rivers.

State Record(s)

Master Angler Catches