quillback
North American sucker
A quillback is a freshwater fish native to North American rivers and lakes, named for the long, quill-like rays that extend from its dorsal fin.
It belongs to the sucker family and has a distinctive humped back and downward-facing mouth adapted for bottom feeding.
Quillbacks are not commonly sought by anglers but are sometimes caught incidentally.
We spotted a quillback feeding along the muddy riverbed.
Fish's rear stabilizer
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- barbelFish's fleshy feeler
- vertebrateSpinal column animal
- cold-bloodedUnfeeling or externally heated
Organism's natural environment
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- ichthyologyScientific study of piscine life
limnology · population · fauna · forage · predator · prey · zooplankton · detritus
Creature eating from below
- Missouri RiverMajor central waterway
- Mississippi RiverLongest North American watercourse
- Ohio RiverMidwestern waterway to Mississippi
- Great LakesFive connected inland seas
Illinois · Iowa · Minnesota · Wisconsin · endemic · native fish · riverine · fluvial
dorsal fin
Fish's rear stabilizer
- scalesPlates or weighing devices
- barbelFish's fleshy feeler
- vertebrateSpinal column animal
habitat
Organism's natural environment
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
ichthyology · limnology · population · fauna · forage · predator · prey · zooplankton · detritus · sediment
bottom-feeder
Creature eating from below
- Missouri RiverMajor central waterway
- Mississippi RiverLongest North American watercourse
- Ohio RiverMidwestern waterway to Mississippi
Great Lakes · Illinois · Iowa · Minnesota · Wisconsin · endemic · native fish · riverine · fluvial · watershed
rod
Thin rigid stick
hook · line · sinker · float · casting · catch · release · angler · sportfishing · bowfishing