Lost River sucker Deltistes luxatus and shortnose sucker Chasmistes brevirostris were listed as endangered in 1988 for a variety of reasons including apparent recruitment failure. Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and its tributaries are considered the most critical remaining habitat for these two species. Age-0 suckers are often abundant in Upper Klamath Lake throughout the summer months, but catches decline dramatically between late August and early September each year, and age-1 and older subadult suckers are rare. These rapid declines in catch rates and a lack of substantial recruitment into adult sucker populations in recent years suggests sucker populations experience high mortality between their first summer and first spawn. A lack of optimal rearing habitat may exacerbate juvenile sucker mortality or restrict juvenile growth or development.
| Author: U. S. Department of the Interior |
| Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform |
| Publication Date: Mar 30, 2014 |
| Number of Pages: 62 pages |
| Binding: Paperback or Softback |
| ISBN-10: 1496184149 |
| ISBN-13: 9781496184146 |
