List of fishes of Colorado

The U.S. State of Colorado is home to 101 fishes, 55 of which are native. Twenty-three native species are threatened or endangered at either the federal or state level. The federally endangered species are the Humpback Chub (Gila cypha), Bonytail (Gila elegans), Colorado Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), and Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus)..W. L. Minckley, Paul C. Marsh, James E. Deacon, Thomas E. Dowling, Philip W. Hedrick, William J. Matthews, Gordon Mueller, A Conservation Plan for Native Fishes of the Lower Colorado River, BioScience, Volume 53, Issue 3, March 2003, Pages 219–234, https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0219:ACPFNF]2.0.CO;2

Fishes Common nameScientific nameDescriptionConservation statusGeographic rangeAnguillidae CatastomidaeRiver carpsuckerCarpiodes carpioNative to eastern Colorado, river carpsuckers prefer to reside in large and deep rivers with sand or silt bottoms with slow moving but they can also be found in backwaters or smaller creeks. River carpsuckers are not considered an endangered species or a threat to humans. They can typically reach up to 12 to 18 inches in length, can weigh between 1 and 3 pounds, and have an average life span of 2 to 4 years.Park, K. 2005. "Carpiodes carpio" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 29, 2020 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Carpiodes_carpio/LCFound in Mississippi River Basin. Ranges from Pennsylvania to Montana, in the Gulf Slope and Rio Grande drainages. QuillbackCarpiodes cyprinusA reported fish in southeastern Colorado but there are no specimens in collection. The Quillback live in warm water rivers and warm water lakes inhabiting clear slow moving shallow waters. Quillbacks are omnivorous fish eating insects, aquatic crustaceans to leaves and algae. They are long-lived fish, living up to 11 years old and growing to about 15 to 20 inches in length."Roughfish.com." Quillback Carpoides Cyprinus, 4 Mar. 2012, 3:45, www.roughfish.com/quillback?page=2.Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "ColoradoLCFound in Mississippi, Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, and Hudson Bay basins. Occurs in the Gulf Slope and Atlantic slope drainages near Delaware to Georgia. Longnose suckerCatostomus catostomusNative to the eastern slopes of Colorado. They are known to reside in areas such as clear water lakes and streams. Longnose suckers also prefer moderate to faster-moving waters. The Longnose sucker can reach an average length of 15 to 20 inches, and weigh up 1 to 2 pounds. Longnose suckers are omnivores bottom feeders; they will slowly swim on the bottom searching for curstactions, invertebrates, algae and fish eggs to consume.Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. "Ohio.gov / Search." Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, ODNR Division of Wildlife, 2012, wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/longnose-sucker.LCOccurs in the Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, and Great Lakes basins. Can be found in the majority of drainages contained in these basins including Delaware, Columbia, and Colorado drainages. White suckerCatostomus commersoniNative to the eastern slopes of Colorado and later introduced to the western slopes. The white sucker can usually be found in cool clear rivers, streams, and lakes. white suckers will usually be feeding on aquatic plants, algae, and invertebrates.FishExplorer.com. "Colorado Fish Species." Colorado White Sucker Fishing - Tips, Records & Stocking Info, 2012, www.fishexplorer.com/co/fish.asp?fid=44. The white sucker can be found reaching a length of 20 inches and about 2–3 pounds. The life expectancy of a white sucker will usually be around 15 years.Woodling, J., 1985. http://Www.Nativefishlab.Net/Library/Textpdf/20824.Pdf. [ebook] Denver: Colorado Division of Wildlife, pp. 1–74. Available at: <http://www.nativefishlab.net/library/textpdf/20824.pdf> [Accessed 28 April 2020].LCFound in Atlantic, Arctic, Great Lakes, and Mississippi basins. Encompasses most of Canada and much of the Northern United States. Bluehead suckerCatostomus discobolusNative to the western slopes of Colorado. The Bluehead sucker is usually found in headwater streams to large rivers, requiring a medium to fast pace of water making them absent from lakes. Bluehead suckers also prefer beds composed of rock substrate. Bluehead suckers will feed on algae, invertebrates, and materials scraped from rock.LCCommonly found in the Snake River system. Extends into several south-western states through the Colorado River drainage. Flannelmouth suckerCatostomus latipinnisNative to Colorado, ranged in the western slopes and waters of Colorado. The flannelmouth sucker inhabits large streams and rivers with turbid waters and sand or muddy bottoms. Known as a bottom feeder, the flannelmouth sucker will feed on algae and invertebrates. The flannelmouth sucker can reach up to sizes of 28 inches and can live up to 30 years of age. Also a bottom feeder, the flannelmouth sucker will feed on algae and invertebrates such as aquatic insect larvae.Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program. "Flannelmouth Sucker." LCR MSCP - Fish - Flannelmouth Sucker, 7 Jan. 2020, www.lcrmscp.gov/fish/flannelmouth_sucker.html.LCColorado River drainage system, extending from Wyoming into the Southwest United States. Mountain suckerCatostomus platyrhynchusNative to northwestern Colorado. The mountain sucker inhabits smaller rivers and streams with gravel, sand, and mud bottoms. They are also found in eddies and small pools with a medium current. Younger suckers will reside in shallower eddies and back waters. The mountain sucker will feed on algae, insects, and larvae.Found through much of western Canada and US. Range includes the Saskatchewan, Fraser, Missouri, and Colorado river drainages.Rio Grande suckerCatostomus plebeiusNative to southern Colorado. The Rio Grande sucker inhabits areas such as rocky pools, runs, and small to medium-sized rivers. They prefer rapidly flowing water for cover, where they will generally feed on algae and small invertebrates.LCFound in the Rio Grande and Pacific Slope drainage systems in the Gila River system. Smallmouth buffaloIctiobus bubalusNot native to Colorado. The smallmouth buffalo can be found in rivers and lakes, but they prefer clean water or mildly turbid waters. Warm and deep waters with abundant vegetation is most productive for this fish. Smallmouth buffalo will feed on shellfish, algae, insects and other bottom organisms. The smallmouth buffalo can reach up to lengths of 36 inches and weigh from 2 to 10 pounds.roughfish.com. "Roughfish.com." Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus Bubalus Blue Pancake, roughfish.com/smallmouth-buffalo.LCFound in a variety of systems, including the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins. Extends into the Gulf Slope drainages. Shorthead redhorseMoxostoma macrolepidotumNot native to Colorado. The shorthead redhorse fish usually tends to reside in lakes and are found on the shallower end of the waters in areas with sand and gravel substrate. Shorthead redhorses prefer clean clear water over polluted turbid waters. Their diet consists of small mollusks, insects, insect larvae, and other aquatic invertebrates. Shorthead redhorse fish are known to grow up to 25 inches, but are typically 12 to 18 inches weighing in about two to three pounds.Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. "Ohio.gov / Search." Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/fish/shorthead-redhorse.LCCommonly found in the Great Lakes basin, but also extends into the St. Lawrence, Hudson Bay, and the Mississippi river basin. Extends into the Atlantic Slope drainages. Razorback suckerXyrauchen texanusNative to western Colorado. The razorback sucker is a large, native Colorado sucker that can grow up to 20 inches and weigh up to 2–3 pounds. Found in deeper waters from 4–10 feet, the adults will stick to strong currents and feed off of algae and invertebrates.CRNative to the Colorado River basin, it is currently known to only inhabit the lower Colorado River system above the Grand Canyon. Centrarchidae (family)Sacramento perchArchoplites interruptusNot native to Colorado. They inhabit areas such as sloughs, lakes, ponds, and slow moving rivers. They are adaptive fish and reside in areas with clear waters with vegetated bottoms or turbid waters with rocky bottoms. Sacramento perch will feed on insects, insect larvae, aquatic crustaceans, and small fish."California Fish Species." California Fish Species - California Fish Website, calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/?uid=81&ds=241.