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Introduction
The Blue Sucker Catostomus elongatus is a bottom-fish that lives in rivers and open waters. It is blue and black in color with a small/slender head that tapers to a fleshy snout. The mouth is located inferior of the head. This is because the fish feeds off the bottom of its habitat. The body of this fish is elongated and slightly compressed. It has a long falcate dorsal fin which is elevated anterior with 24-35 rays. It has a long caudal peduncle and a forked caudal fin. The anal fin contains 7-8 rays on average. The scales are large and contain 55-58 in the lateral line. The species has an average weight of 2-3 kilograms and an average length of 76 centimeters. The record length has been recorded at 102 centimeters.

Range and Distribution
The Blue Sucker is native to the United States and Mexico. In the U.S., it lives in the Mississippi River basin north to Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Blue Sucker also lives in the Missouri River drainage to North and South Dakota and Montana. This species can also be found in the Gulf drainage from the Sabine River to the Rio grande. The river drainage goes to Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico.

Conservation Management
The Blue Sucker is sensitive to water pollution, and is only able to live in water that is well irrigated or pollutionless. This is why it is common to see them in rivers. The species is listed as least concern.

Reproduction
The Blue Sucker has a spawning time from around March until June. This varies on the location of the fish and also the water temperature. Fifty-three degrees is the average water temperature in which males and females find their spawning area. This area is in fast moving water around two feet deep. Rocks in the area will also be larger than gravel, but they will be smaller than boulders. This species is very particular about their spawning areas.

The peak water temperature is sixty-two degrees and the actual spawning time will usually last around two weeks. Male suckers will continue to come to the area until spawning is officially over. Females will go to the area, lay her eggs, and leave once she is finished and they have been fertilized.

Trivia
The Blue Sucker also goes by the blackhorse, the bluefish, the muskellunge, the razor back, the sockerel, the gourd seed sucker, the Missouri Sucker, the slenderhead sucker, and the sweet sucker.