Description: A medium-sized (maximum length of 33 cm [13 in.]) fish with a round, sucker-shaped mouth located on the ventral surface of the head. The dorsal color is brown, while the coloration is lighter ventrally. The caudal fin is forked. The eyes are located high on the head.
Diet: Omnivorous. Feeds on the substrate by scraping algae, detritus,
and small invertebrates from stones and other submerged objects.
Habitat: Small to moderately large streams with pools and riffles, mainly
over a bottom of gravel with sandy silt. Adults remain in the deeper pools
during the day, then move to riffles to feed at night or when the water is
turbid. Young tend to stay in lower velocity water along banks.
Range: The species occurs throughout the lower Colorado River
drainage system in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. This subspecies occurs
in the Virgin River.
Comments: Three subspecies of the Desert Sucker occur in Nevada:
Catostomus clarkii intermedius (White River Desert Sucker) occurs in
the pluvial White River, C. c. utahensis (Virgin River Desert Sucker)
occurs in the Virgin River watershed, and an unnamed subspecies (Meadow Valley Desert Sucker) occurs in Meadow Valley Wash and Clover Creek. Also referred to as Pantosteus clarki.