Age and Growth of River Carpsucker in Des Moines River, Iowa

Although the northern river carpsucker, Carpiodes carpio carpio (Rafmesque), is one of the more abundant species of fish in the Des Moines River, it is not a well known fish. Few laymen are acquainted with it. Precise information on its life history is limited, and its ecological role has not been determined. The river carpsucker is rarely utilized by commercial or sport fishermen and for this reason is usually classified as a rough fish. A few carpsuckers enter the commercial fishery of the Mississippi River (Barnickol and Starrett, 1951) . Some are taken by sport fishermen using extra small hooks and bits of doughball or bread for bait (Harlan and Speaker, 1956). This life history study is a step in determining the relationships of the carpsucker to the other fishes in the Des Moines River, which is essential to the best management of that fishery