FAMILY CATOSTOMIDAE 137 



45. It attains a length of 2 feet or slightly more and a weight of 8 or 10 

 pounds and is of considerable value as a food fish. 



The northern redhorse ranges from Montana to eastern Canada and 

 southward to New York and to Kansas. It is absent from the Ohio Valley 

 except in the Wabash drainage (Hubbs and Lagler, 1941) . It is com- 

 mon in many of the clear-water lakes and larger streams of Minne- 

 sota and in many of the creeks as well, but Wagner (1908) did not 

 find it at all common at Lake Pepin in 1903-4. It is present in the 

 Lake of the Woods and the Red River drainages and has been collected 

 from the St. Louis River in the Superior drainage. It shows a decided 

 preference for clear, swiftly moving streams. Greene (1935) reported it 

 from all parts of Wisconsin. 



Forbes and Richardson (1908) stated that this redhorse is not tena- 

 cious of life but dies quickly in the aquarium if the water is at all impure. 

 In its native waters also it readily succumbs to impure conditions, which 

 are likely to occur in midsummer. They sometimes perish in vast num- 

 bers and are found stranded along the banks when violent summer 

 rains, following long periods of drought, overload the streams with mud 

 and decaying vegetation. 



In the Upper Mississippi in the region of Wolf Lake, Minnesota, the 

 redhorses do not run up to spawn until about three weeks after the 

 common suckers have spawned. At Lake of the Woods they always 

 select clean sand and gravel bars in shallow^ waters for their spawning 

 beds, and most of the eggs are deposited after sunset or very early in the 

 morning. The northern redhorse frequently bites on a baited hook and 

 is commonly caught and sold by commercial fishermen. Many regard 

 this fish as the best of the suckers, for the flesh is white and flaky and, 

 particularly when baked, is an excellent food. 



