- Side view adult.
- Side view adult.
- Top view adult.
- Bottom view adult.
- Head-on view adult.
- Close-up flank.
- Close-up head.
- Close-up mouth and snout.
- Close-up tail.
- Close-up dorsal fin.
- Close-up anal fin.
- Close-up pectoral fin.
- Close-up pelvic fin.
- The dorsal fin has 9-12 rays with a falcate/concave margin.
- The sides are mottled with blotches and have 47-51 lateral line scales.
- Close-up underside of head: The lower lips form an acute angle and are thick, fleshy, and papillose.
- Close-up flank: The sides are mottled with blotches and have 47-51 lateral line scales.
- Close-up top of head: There is a distinct concavity between the eyes.
- Close-up lower caudal lobe: Breeders develop minute tubercles on their fin rays.
- Close-up anal fin: Breeders develop minute tubercles on their fin rays.
- Side view of a young-of-year: Juveniles are similar to adults.
- Alternative view of the anal fin.
- Alternative view of the tail region.
- Alternative side view of an adult.
- Alternative view of mouth and snout.
- Alternative view of the head region.
Mouth and snout: Inferior, no teeth on jaws. No barbels. Body patterning, color, and scales: Mottling and irregular blotches. Body usually olive, tan, or brown with mottling and large irregular blotches of darker brown or black on sides and extending on to back as saddles. Abrupt change to cream or yellow on belly. Pectoral and pelvic fins with dusky mottling; other fins more evenly pigmented, ranging from dark brown to reddish brown to yellow or sometimes clear (especially anal fin). 46-54 (usually 47-51) cycloid lateral line scales. Body shape and size: Body dorsal-ventrally flattened with a rounded back and a relatively elongate narrow caudal peduncle; approximately round (with flattened ventral surface) in cross section. Typically 200-350 mm (8-14 in) TL; maximum about 500 mm (20 in).
Tail, dorsal and other fins: Forked tail. Single dorsal with no spines and 9-12 (usually 11-12) rays. Pelvic fins abdominal. Adipose fin absent. Anal fin with 7-8 (usually 7) rays.
The northern hog sucker is unique in having a concavity on the top of the head between the eyes, an elongated and narrow caudal peduncle, numerous, extensive blotches on its sides as an adult, and a lower lip that is broad and fleshy throughout. See also similar species information.
Males with minute small tubercles over head, anal, pelvic, and caudal fins, and sometimes scales; females with a few minute tubercles on fins.
Similar to adults.
|Redhorse, Black||12-14 rays, margin concave or falcate, rarely straight|
|Redhorse, Golden||10-15 rays, usually 13, margin concave or falcate, rarely straight|
|Redhorse, Greater||11-15 rays, usually 13-14, margin slightly concave to slightly convex|
|Redhorse, River||13-15 rays, margin straight or slightly concave|
|Redhorse, Shorthead||11-15 rays, usually 12-14, margin falcate|
|Redhorse, Silver||14-17 rays, usually 15, margin usually straight or slightly convex|
|Sucker, Blue||28-33 rays, anterior rays elongated|
|Sucker, Longnose||9-11 rays, margin straight to slightly concave|
|Sucker, Northern Hog||9-12 rays, usually 11-12 margin falcate|
|Sucker, Spotted||11-12 rays, margin straight to falcate|
|Sucker, White||10-13 rays, margin slightly concave to slightly convex|
|Redhorse, Black||Obtuse angle or straight margin, plicate|
|Redhorse, Golden||Obtuse angle, plicate|
|Redhorse, Greater||Obtuse angle, plicate|
|Redhorse, River||Obtuse angle or straight margin, plicate|
|Redhorse, Shorthead||Straight margin, plicate with a few papillae|
|Redhorse, Silver||Acute or right angle, papillose|
|Sucker, Blue||Acute angle, papillose|
|Sucker, Longnose||Acute angle, papillose|
|Sucker, Northern Hog||Acute angle, papillose|
|Sucker, Spotted||Obtuse angle, relatively thin, plicate|
|Sucker, White||Acute angle, papillose|
|Redhorse, Black||Solid color|
|Redhorse, Golden||Solid color|
|Redhorse, Greater||Solid color or with faint spots at anterior base scales in some fish|
|Redhorse, River||Solid color or with faint spots at anterior base scales in some fish|
|Redhorse, Shorthead||Solid color or with faint spots at anterior base scales in some fish|
|Redhorse, Silver||Solid color|
|Sucker, Blue||Solid color, darkly pigmented|
|Sucker, Longnose||Solid color or faint blotches, breeders with lateral stripe|
|Sucker, Northern Hog||Dark mottling and large dark irregular blotches|
|Sucker, Spotted||Dark spots at anterior base of scales; lateral stripes in some breeders|
|Sucker, White||Solid color or faint blotches, breeders with lateral stripe|
Lateral Line Scales
|Redhorse, Black||43-51, usually 44-47, all pored|
|Redhorse, Golden||37-45, usually 40-42, all pored|
|Redhorse, Greater||41-45, usually 42-44, all pored|
|Redhorse, River||41-46, usually 42-44, all pored|
|Redhorse, Shorthead||39-46, usually 42-44, all pored|
|Redhorse, Silver||38-46 scales, usually 41-42, all pored|
|Sucker, Blue||53-58, all pored|
|Sucker, Longnose||91-115, usually >95, all pored|
|Sucker, Northern Hog||46-54, usually 47-51, all pored|
|Sucker, Spotted||42-46, 0-38 pored|
|Sucker, White||55-85, usually 60-70, all pored|
|Redhorse, Black||Pelvic rays 8-11 but almost always one or both with 10; caudal peduncle depth <59% of caudal peduncle depth; tail slate-colored in life|
|Redhorse, Golden||Pelvic rays 9; caudal peduncle depth usually >63% of caudal peduncle length; tail slate-colored in life|
|Redhorse, Greater||Head rounded with a rounded snout, not overhanging lips ventrally; tail orange or red in life; scales around caudal peduncle 15-16|
|Redhorse, River||Head rounded and bulky with a blunt or slightly rounded snout, overhanging lips ventrally in adults; tail orange or red in life; scales around caudal peduncle 12-13|
|Redhorse, Shorthead||Head tapered to a pointed or slightly blunt snout, not overhanging lips ventrally; tail orange or red in life; scales around caudal peduncle 12-13|
|Redhorse, Silver||Tail slate-colored in life|
|Sucker, Blue||Darkly pigmented fins|
|Sucker, Longnose||Snout distinctly extends past upper lip|
|Sucker, Northern Hog||Top of head with concavity between eyes; other species have this area flat or convex|
|Sucker, Spotted||Spots lined up in horizontal rows; limited to area above anal fin in small juveniles|
|Sucker, White||Snout barely extends past upper lip|
|Redhorse, Black||Moderately similar|
|Redhorse, Golden||Moderately similar|
|Redhorse, Greater||Moderately similar|
|Redhorse, River||Moderately similar|
|Redhorse, Shorthead||Moderately similar|
|Redhorse, Silver||Moderately similar|
|Sucker, Blue||Moderately similar|
|Sucker, Longnose||Moderately similar|
|Sucker, Northern Hog||N/A|
|Sucker, Spotted||Moderately similar|
|Sucker, White||Moderately similar|