FishDatabase

Pantosteus lahontan

Catostomidae · freshwater water fish

1 minute read · Species guide

Pantosteus lahontan field guide illustration

About Pantosteus lahontan

Pantosteus lahontan is a freshwater sucker of the Lahontan Basin in Nevada, Oregon and California. Its name reflects a basin whose fish fauna has a distinctive geographic history.

NativeFresh1 states

Range and natural history

FishBase treats it as a separate species in the mountain-sucker group. That placement is useful context, but it does not make every observation of a mountain sucker within the western United States a record of this species. Drainage and diagnostic anatomy need to agree.

Sources: Pantosteus lahontan species summary

Guide sources

Research reviewed 2026-10-19.

Range

Where it lives

Share of 3 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 1 states.
0%
100%
Share of 3 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 1 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water
WoRMS records this species in fresh water.

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Superclass
Actinopterygii
Class
Teleostei
Order
Cypriniformes
Family
Catostomidae
Genus
Pantosteus
Species
Pantosteus lahontan
ITIS TSN
1171652
WoRMS AphiaID
1848457
GBIF key
12081301

Common questions about Pantosteus lahontan

What is the scientific name of Pantosteus lahontan?
The scientific name is Pantosteus lahontan, in the family Catostomidae. Classification follows ITIS.
Does Pantosteus lahontan live in fresh water or salt water?
WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Where has Pantosteus lahontan been recorded in the United States?
GBIF has observations in 1 states, with the most records in Nevada. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives

Other Pantosteus species

Bluehead Sucker7 states
Pantosteus discobolusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Desert Sucker9 states
Pantosteus clarkiiCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Green Sucker4 states
Pantosteus virescensCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Mountain Sucker13 states
Pantosteus platyrhynchusCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Pantosteus bondi2 states
CatostomidaeNativeFresh
Pantosteus jordani13 states
CatostomidaeNativeFresh
Rio Grande Sucker5 states
Pantosteus plebeiusCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Santa Ana Sucker1 states
Pantosteus santaanaeCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh

Same family

More Catostomidae

Alabama Hog Sucker6 states
Hypentelium etowanumCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Bigeye Jumprock3 states
Moxostoma ariommumCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Bigmouth Buffalo26 states
Ictiobus cyprinellusCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Black Buffalo26 states
Ictiobus nigerCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Black Redhorse
Moxostoma duquesneiCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Blackfin Sucker2 states
Thoburnia atripinnisCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Blacktail Redhorse9 states
Moxostoma poecilurumCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Blacktip Jumprock7 states
Moxostoma cervinumCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Blue Sucker22 states
Cycleptus elongatusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Bluehead Sucker7 states
Pantosteus discobolusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Bridgelip Sucker5 states
Catostomus columbianusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Creek Chubsucker31 states
Erimyzon oblongusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Cui-ui2 states
Chasmistes cujusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Desert Sucker9 states
Pantosteus clarkiiCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Flannelmouth Sucker8 states
Catostomus latipinnisCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Golden Redhorse29 states
Moxostoma erythrurumCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Gray Redhorse2 states
Moxostoma congestumCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Greater Jumprock4 states
Moxostoma lachneriCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Greater Redhorse11 states
Moxostoma valenciennesiCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Green Sucker4 states
Pantosteus virescensCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Highfin Carpsucker23 states
Carpiodes veliferCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
June Sucker1 states
Chasmistes liorusCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Klamath Largescale Sucker2 states
Catostomus snyderiCatostomidaeNativeFresh
Klamath Smallscale Sucker2 states
Catostomus rimiculusCatostomidaeNativeFresh

All 67 species in Catostomidae