Shortnose sucker

Chasmistes brevirostris

Catostomid Fish Reaching Sixty Four Centimeters

Temperate
Lower river
Upper river
Northern Hemisphere
Local endemic species
Restricted distribution
Freshwater fish
North America
Large
Temperate fish

The shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris), also known as the koptu (pronounced KOP-too) by the Klamath Tribes, is a rare species of fish in the family Catostomidae, the suckers. It is native to southern Oregon and northern California in the United States. This species and related ones were a major food source for local tribes, and are still considered to be sacred animals.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Minnows, Carps, and Loaches
Family: Catostomidae
Genus: Chasmistes
Maximum length: 64 cm
Water: Freshwater
Distribution: North America: endemic to the upper Klamath River Basin, including the Lost River in Oregon and Lower Klamath Lake sub-basins and Clear Lake Reservoir in California, USA.

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