Silver redhorse

The silver redhorse (Moxostoma anisurum: Moxostoma= mouth to suck; anisurum = unequal tail) is a species of freshwater fish endemic to Canada and the United States. It is the longest-lived redhorse known (a group of 25 extant species), with a maximum reported age of 41 years. Sometimes called redhorse or sucker for short, it is in the family Catostomidae with other suckers. The species is distributed from Quebec to Alberta and is also in the Mississippi River, St. Lawrence River, Ohio River, and the Great Lakes basins. The current world record is 6.75 kilograms (14 lb 14 oz), caught by Chris Stephenson on Pickwick Lake in Alabama, April 1995 and certified by National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. This species is of growing interest to rod-and-line anglers. The long-lived and late-maturing silver redhorse is also a sportfish pursued by kill-and-dump bowfishing, a 21st century unregulated sport that produces tons of wanton waste, and thus management and conservation are in need of updating.

Distribution

The native range of the silver red horse is the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence and Mississippi River basins. However, there have been instances in which the fish was found in Clayton lake and the New River Drainage in North Carolina. The silver redhorse is also widely distributed in eastern North America from Missouri to Quebec with most residing in the southeastern United States. It is typically found in lakes and in small to large rivers, where it often lives in undercut banks or protruding tree roots. They are also found in deep pools with little to no current and a sand substrate at the bottom of the pool useful for burying their eggs. They are a good indicator of water quality as they cannot tolerate murky water.

Behaviour

Due to its inferior mouth position, this fish is a bottom feeder. It feeds on mollusks, algae, detritus, immature insects, and other small invertebrates. Monogenea parasites have been found in the gills of the silver redhorse.