Catostomidae

The mouths of these fish are most commonly located on the underside of their head (subterminal), with thick, fleshy lips. Most species are less than in length, but the largest species (Ictiobus and Myxocyprinus) can surpass . They are distinguished from related fish by having a long pharyngeal bone in the throat, containing a single row of teeth. Catostomids are most often found in rivers, but can be found in any freshwater environment. Their food ranges from detritus and bottom-dwelling organisms (such as crustaceans and worms), to surface insects, crayfish, small terrestrial vertebrates, and other fish. ==Fossil record==

Basal Catostomidae fossils have been uncovered and dated to the Middle Eocene in Colorado and Utah. The earliest catostomine sucker fossils are of Pantosteus from the Middle Miocene of Oregon. ==As food==

, Hypentelium nigricans They can be taken by many fishing methods, including angling and gigging. Often, species such as Catostomus commersonii and Hypentelium nigricans are preferred for eating. They can be canned, smoked, or fried, but small incisions often must be made in the flesh (termed "scoring") before frying to allow small internal bones to be palatable. Suckers were an important source of food for Indigenous Americans across the continent. Many fishing methods were employed with the most elaborate being stone fish traps constructed on spawning rivers, remnants of these traps can be seen today in Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park where the Achomawi people trapped Sacramento suckers. In the west these relationships became even more important after the decline in salmon runs due to damming and habitat destruction, some groups of native people relied on seasonal sucker runs for a significant amount of their food until the 1950s. In China there is a significant aquaculture industry dedicated to raising Myxocyprinus asiaticus for food. Historically they were an important component of wild fisheries on the Yangtze, but the wild populations are under pressure from pollution, habitat destruction and hydroelectric dam projects. == Recreational fishing ==

Some Catostomidae, especially those of Ictiobus and Moxostoma, are the subject of major recreational fisheries while most are the subject of at least limited recreational fisheries. Throughout much of their range species are considered to be rough fish. Suckers have historically been scapegoated for human environmental destruction and their impacts on popular fish species such as Pacific salmon and smallmouth bass. This has led to their widespread and unnecessary destruction at the hands of ignorant anglers. == Subfamilies and genera ==

, Moxostoma robustum , Ictiobus bubalus '' fossil specimen Catostomidae is classified into the following subfamilies and genera: • Genus †Plesiomyxocyprinus Liu & Chang, 2009 • Genus †Vasnetzovia Sytchevskaya, 1986 • Genus †Wilsonium Liu, 2021 The fossil genus Jianghanichthys was previously placed in the Catastomidae, but is now placed in its own family, Jianghanichthyidae. == References ==