White Sucker
Catostomus commersonii
- Look for fleshy, bumpy (papillose) lips on the underside of the snout. This downward-facing sucker mouth is the fish's most obvious feature.
- The body is long and rounded with a dark back that can range from dark green to grey, copper, brown, or black, fading to a pale white or light underbelly.
- The tail fin is forked and symmetrical (same shape on top and bottom), which is typical of this fish and differs from some other bottom-feeders.
- Unlike the longnose sucker (the species most often confused with it) the white sucker has a shorter snout; if the snout looks noticeably elongated, it may be a longnose sucker instead.