COMMON FISHES OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER 
187 
As a food fish the short-head red horse is of about the same grade as the river 
quillback, but it is much less abundant. It is believed that it is present about Keokuk 
at all times, and we have no evidence that it is significantly affected by the dam. 
In general, the red horsefishes (Moxostoma) have little commercial importance 
in the Mississippi River, although one or more species are common in many parts of 
the course of the river. They are present all the year but because of poor keeping 
qualities are never sought in warm weather. In the cold weather of fall and spring 
they were frequently taken in considerable numbers in floating trammel nets or in 
seines. Being addicted to flowing water, they are now (1926) hardly known in the 
lake above the dam, although they were once abundant in the rapids at this place. 
It is said that before the dam was built red horse or “redfin ” could be taken in quantity 
in winter from the Mississippi about the mouth of the Bes Moines River. It was 
assumed that that part of the river was the winter resting place for the red horsefish 
that summered in the swift waters of the rapids above Keokuk and of the Des Moines 
River. The origin of the name “Des Moines plunger” is apparent. Although a fair 
food fish and saleable in season, the red horse is not highly valued; it is not large and 
can be sold only as No. 2 fish, as are undersized carp and quillback. 
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS REGARDING SUCKERS 
Excluding the buffalo fishes, the suckers of most potential importance in the river 
are the blue sucker, the carp sucker or river quillback, and the short-head red horse. 
The blue sucker is a valuable food fish, lending itself to artificial propagation, and it 
should, if possible, be preserved as a national resource and a basis of commercial fishery. 
In comparatively recent years it has virtually disappeared from the upper portion of 
the Mississippi River, and, according to all present indications, it has largely passed 
from the lower river as well. There is the possibility that the dam has contributed to 
its loss from the upper river, but when consideration is given to the evident diminution 
of blue suckers below Keokuk and to the very drastic decline of the sucker fishery 
of the basin between 1899 and 1908, before the dam was built, the actual part played 
by the dam can not be fixed with any assurance. 
The river quillback is probably the most abundant of all fishes in the vicinity 
of Keokuk and elsewhere, but it is of little economic importance. None of the suckers 
(disregarding the blue sucker) appear to be unfavorably affected by the dam, except 
in so far as the slackened current of the lake makes that particular region an unfavor- 
able environment for fish that prefer regions of strong current. 
Since 1899 the sucker fishery in the Mississippi Basin as a whole has shown a 
strong decline. An exception to the general trend has recently been shown in Lake 
Pepin, where there appeared a marked increase in the yield of suckers in 1922. 
Buffalo fishes. Ictiobus Rafinesque (all species) 
The buffalo fishes are among the most important commercial fishes of the 
Mississippi Basin. The value of the product to the fishermen in 1922 was over 
11,000,000 (Sette, 1925, p. 208); in that year, indeed, buffalo fishes ranked above 
the German carp and the catfishes, the next most valuable species. In weight, 
the catch of buffalo fish in 1922 was a little less than that of carp. 
83445—30 4 
