Status of the mountain sucker, Catostomus platyrhynchus, in Canada

Abstract

The mountain sucker is the most widely distributed member of the subgenus Pantosteus. It is found in the Columbia, Fraser, Saskatchewan and Missouri river systems of Canada as well as the USA where is also occurs in the Green River system and is present in various systems of the Great Basin. A creature of mountain streams, its present distribution in relation to historic and present hydrographic features and fossil evidence suggests that populations may still be expanding in concert with tectonic and orographic processes. Physical and ecological barriers inherent in mountainous habitats give rise to widely separated, genetically diverse populations, the nature of which has led to speculation on the rarity of the species. There are several widely scattered and diverse viable populations in the west which do not seem to be currently under any threat. -from Author