The razorback sucker is distinguished from all other fishes by a bony hump that rises on its back immediately behind the head.
An Imperiled Native Fish
Once prevalent throughout the Colorado River Basin, biologists now estimate that approximately 500 razorback suckers exist in the wild. Threats to the razorback sucker include flow regulation, habitat loss and alteration, competition with and/or predation by exotic fishes, and water pollution in the Colorado River Basin. Selenium, a heavy metal often found in runoff from disturbed sites, including uranium mines, can affect reproduction in fish (including the endangered Colorado River fish) and may bioaccumulate, impacting species higher in the food chain like river otters and bald eagles.
Natural History
The razorback sucker is one of the largest suckers in North America. Larger fish may weigh as much as 12 to 14 pounds, and get up to 36 inches long. The prehistoric-looking razorback sucker is thought to have evolved approximately 4 million years ago. This extremely rare, large-river species is found only in the Colorado River basin. Its unusual body shape suggests a design suited for life on the bottom in turbulent flows.
Conservation Status
-Endangered Species, Endangered Species Act , 1991
-Colorado Division of Wildlife Endangered Species
-Utah Species of Special Concern
Action Taken
We monitor and challenge inappropriate development projects in the upper Colorado River watershed, including uranium mining, oil and gas drilling, and water diversion projects, to protect this rare species and water quality in the Colorado River basin.
