The Northern Hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans) was described in 1817 by the French naturalist and explorer Charles Alexandre Lesueur. The name Hypentelium is Greek for "lower five lobes" coming from the shape of their large, fleshy lips; nigricans meaning blackish, almost like the body coloration of these fish. Based on the looks of this species, one can assume they live on the bottom of their ecosystems. The main characters that distinguish them from their cousins are the mottled color and highly protrusible mouth. They get the nickname of "goth girlfriend" from the pigmentation above their lip which resembles black lipstick (see images). The Northern Hogsucker has been recorded to reach a maximum length of 24 inches.
These fish mainly occupy large streams and small rivers, but young to small individuals will occasionally be found in headwater areas if habitat is present. They prefer areas of swift-moving water that are clear and predominated by clean sand, gravel, and cobble. During the main summer and winter months, they will drop back into deeper pools with less flow. The shape of Northern Hogsuckers is the best for life within fast water. Their bodies are long and cylindrical, with large pectoral fins. The shape of their head allows for water to flow over them, causing a downward force that pushes them down and holds them to the bottom.
The primary forage is aquatic insect larvae and small crustaceans that live within and on the various substrate. They'll cruise over the stream floor picking up and flipping rocks with their mouth and eat the insects that float up. This action of sifting through the sand and gravel causes a drift of biological matter filled with organic debris and insects. The drift of prey items makes for easy forage from other fish like minnows, shiners, and Smallmouth Bass. If you're ever out by a stream, pay close attention to these large, mixed schools of various fish!
The spawning season for Northern Hogsuckers occurs around April and May when water temperatures are still cool. Males begin the process by moving to the top of a gravel-filled riffle and clean off the rocks while waiting for females, who are still in deeper pools. When ready, the females move up and pick a site in shallow water, where she is then joined by 2 to 3 males. Non-adhesive eggs are broadcast over the riffle and surrounding habitat to keep them cool and well-oxygenated. After spawning, the parents abandon the eggs and leave them to hatch (hopefully) within roughly 10 days.
The range for Northern Hogsuckers spans from Minnesota/South Dakota down to Louisiana and out into New England. The image from FishMap shows what watersheds Northern Hogsuckers currently occur in (grey) and where they have historically been found (red). They are not currently threatened or endangered in any state, but still susceptible to human interaction and alterations on waterways. This species is intolerant of pollutants and sensitive to siltation, turbidity, and altered stream flows. The Northern Hogsucker, like their cousins, was historically accused of destroying the eggs of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, as well as other "sportfish." This accusation caused historic anglers to treat them as "trash" and remove Hogsuckers from the waterways thinking this would help the bass populations. This is not a good practice to partake in and Northern Hogsuckers are an important piece to aquatic ecosystems.
The best way to observe these suckers is to go out to a stream and look for schools of large, banded fish. You could go snorkel in the water and wait for them to come your way. One can also try fishing for them; they have been known to take hooks baited with small chunks of worm set on the bottom. Some people have been lucky enough to make them pets by setting up large tanks with high flow and cooler water. You have to make sure to treat them for internal parasites before placing them in the tank because they could succumb to emaciation from not getting enough nutrients. They have a recorded maximum age of roughly 11 years in the wild, but could potentially go longer in captivity if taken care of.
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