Wild About Illinois Fishes!

​Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes - The minnows, suckers and others make up this very large order of fishes. They have a chain of bones that connects to the swim bladder to the inner ear which aids the fish in hearing. The pelvic fins are located on the belly of the fish. Most are small in size. Maturity is reached quickly.
Family: Catostomidae - Suckers have a distinctive mouth which is used to suck up invertebrates from the bottom of the water body. There are no teeth in the mouth, however teeth are present in the throat. Suckers have one dorsal fin with nine or more dorsal rays. The pelvic fins are abdominal in position, and cycloid scales may be found on the body but not on the head.

river carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio)
quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
highfin carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer)
longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus) [state threatened]
white sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus)
creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)
lake chubsucker (Erimyzon sucetta)
northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans)
smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)
bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
black buffalo (Ictiobus niger)
spotted sucker (Minytrema melanops)
silver redhorse (Moxostoma anisurum)
smallmouth redhorse (Moxostoma breviceps)
river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) [state threatened]
black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei)
golden redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum)
shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)
greater redhorse (Moxostoma valenciennesi) [state endangered]

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