Spotted sucker (Minytrema melanops) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 9

Special Significance of the Species

As reported by Parker and McKee (1984), there is no commercial significance to the spotted sucker in Canada, nor is it an economically important forage fish.  In the United States, the aquaculture of spotted sucker for the baitfish industry is in development (Ludwig 1997). The spotted sucker’s continued survival, along with other species at the northern edges of their ranges in Canada, will be an indication of good water quality and habitat condition. Like all sucker species, the spotted sucker plays an important role as in nutrient cycling. It transfers energy (i.e. nutrients) from the benthic food web (where it feeds) to the pelagic food web (where it is preyed upon).

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