In the USA, it is sometimes easy for concepts to get muddy or confusing. State rules and federal rules can often be found on opposing sides of the proverbial fence. Various concepts can thus be interpreted differently when switching between the two sides. When talking about endemic or native fish, do you focus on the state or the country as a whole? Largemouth Bass are native to North America, and yet they were not found in Nevada. They were introduced as sport fish a long time ago and have since become naturalized as part of the ecosystem.
This is not an isolated example. Many of the fish located in
our waters have some strange origin story. Pioneers brought carp with them to
the west as a food source. The introduction of Striped Bass for sports anglers,
and the debate on what that has done to the native populations. Arizona has
declared war on the non-native Brown Trout in the Colorado River, and yet, they
were introduced to lure anglers to the Grand Canyon. Human interference always
seems to come with hindsight and not foresight.
No matter where you stand on these issues, I would like to
share with you a true native fish. This is a Razorback Suckerfish. Suckerfish
are native to the US with the best known being the American Buffalo. These are
not carp but are fish that evolved separately to feed in the same way. The
Razorback Suckerfish is only found in the Colorado River and with the damming
of said river, they are found in the lakes on the river. It was the building of
these dams that nearly wiped out these fish.
In the 1990’s, the population was estimated to be a mere
2000. These fish were listed as endangered and are federally protected. It is
believed their numbers have slowly recovered with fish being seen in the Grand
Canyon. This fish was, however, not caught with rod and reel. With the lower
water levels at Willow Beach, this fish was trapped in a small pool next to the
river. After catching it with my landing net, it was set free back into the
Colorado River. So, this does not count for my life list, but I held one in my
hands. And that alone is amazing.
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