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Home Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Vertebrata Class Actinopterygii Order Cypriniformes Family Catostomidae

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2009/11/08 02:04:18.429 US/Eastern

By Tanya Dewey

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Cypriniformes

Family: Catostomidae

Members of this Family

The 68 species of suckers are found in freshwater rivers in North America, China, and northeastern Siberia. They can grow up to 1 meter long, but are usually less than 60 centimeters long. They have thick, fleshy lips that help them to attach themselves to rocks in the bottoms of fast-flowing rivers. They eat bottom-dwelling animals like worms, crustaceans, insects, and small fishes.

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Contributors

Tanya Dewey (author), Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

2009/11/08 02:04:18.521 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Dewey, T. 2006. "Catostomidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 10, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Catostomidae.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
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