Plains Sucker (Saskatchewan-Nelson population): Consultations on listing under the Species at Risk Act
Current status: Closed
Consultation period: June 11, 2025 to August 11, 2025
The Government of Canada is engaging with Canadians on whether the Saskatchewan-Nelson population of Plains Sucker should be added to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk as Special Concern.
Your opinion counts!
Your comments are important.
Please fill out the survey: we want to hear from you.
The Species at Risk Act (SARA) supports Canada’s international commitments to conserve biological diversity by providing legal protection for wildlife species at risk of extinction or extirpation. SARA acknowledges that all Canadians have a role to play in the conservation of wildlife species.
Before deciding whether the Plains Sucker (Pantosteus jordani), Saskatchewan-Nelson population, will be added to Canada’s List of Wildlife Species at Risk, we would like to receive your comments regarding the possible ecological, cultural, and economic impacts of listing or not listing this species under SARA.
Adding a species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk
The process of listing a species under SARA consists of several steps: it begins with a status assessment by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and ends with a Government of Canada decision on whether or not to add a species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk. Public engagement is conducted to gather the opinions of Canadians, and is an important step in this process.
Long description
Figure 1 is an image of Plains Sucker. Plains Sucker has a subterminal mouth with characteristic “fleshy bumps” (papillae) on its lips. The snout is broad and heavy, and the eyes are small. The body is elongate, cylindrical, and somewhat compressed towards the tail. Typically, Plains Suckers are dark green to grey or brown in color, usually with fine black spotting, and a pale yellow to white belly.
Facts about Plains Sucker
Plains Sucker is a small freshwater fish (Figure 1). It has a subterminal mouth with characteristic “fleshy bumps” (papillae) on its lips. The snout is broad and heavy, and the eyes are small. The body is elongate, cylindrical, and somewhat compressed towards the tail. Typically, Plains Suckers are dark green to grey or brown in color, usually with fine black spotting, and a pale yellow to white belly. During the spawning season, male fish develop an orange to red lateral band and additional “bumps” (tubercles) on their fins and body.
Plains Sucker is mainly found in the northern portion of a wider distribution across prairie Canada (Figures 2 to 5). It is patchily distributed within the Saskatchewan River drainage across five tributaries in Alberta and Saskatchewan. It inhabits flowing water with moderate gradients and cool temperatures, favouring areas with coarser substrates. Typically, Plains Sucker is found in streams at intermediate elevations and in streams on the Great Plains in drainages with cool groundwater inputs. Their habitats are likely declining due to reduced water quality and quantity from water-use management and climate change.
Status designation of Plains Sucker
The Saskatchewan-Nelson population of Plains Sucker was most recently assessed as special concern by COSEWIC in December 2022. Under SARA, a special concern species is defined as one that may become threatened or endangered because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.
Why is Plains Sucker assessed as special concern?
Within the Saskatchewan-Nelson population, the threats are diverse and not immediate. The threats are likely to accumulate over time and mainly involve the degradation and loss of habitat quality. These threats include pollution from domestic and urban wastewater, agricultural and forestry runoff, impacts from climate change and severe weather, dams and water management, invasive species, roads and railroads, utility infrastructure and recreational activities.
What happens if Plains Sucker is listed as a special concern species under the SARA?
If Plains Sucker is listed as special concern, the species will not be subject to prohibitions under SARA (including killing, harming, harassing, capturing, possessing, buying, selling, or trading). However, the Government of Canada will be required to produce a management plan which outlines measures that will contribute to the conservation of Plains Sucker. The management plan will be prepared in cooperation with Indigenous organizations and stakeholders. There may also be increased access to funding for scientific research and stewardship activities.
We would like to receive your comments on the potential impacts of adding or not adding the Plains Sucker (Saskatchewan-Nelson population) to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk under SARA designated as Special Concern.
Related information
References
- COSEWIC. 2022. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Plains Sucker Pantosteus Jordani, Saskatchewan-Nelson River population and Missouri population and the Cordilleran Sucker Pantosteus bondi in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xxii + 68 pp.
Contact us
Species at Risk Program
501 University Crescent
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6
DFO.CASARAConsultations-CALEPConsultations.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Long description
Figure 2 is a partial map of Alberta with Edmonton in the northeast corner and Red Deer in the southeast corner. The north portion of the distribution of Plains Sucker, Saskatchewan–Nelson population in Alberta is located southwest of Edmonton, west and east of Red Deer. Markings on the map indicate specific locations where this species has been captured in the area. An insert of the map in the top left corner shows a high-level view of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan and the United States of America border, with a rectangle encompassing central Alberta. Immediately below this insert map is an arrow indicating the direction of north. To the right of the inset map is another inset that contains a legend that shows (by shading in shape relevant to area) First Nations Reserve Lands (brown), Parks (green), and Built-up areas (grey). A map scale of 60 km is located at the bottom right of the image.
Long description
Figure 3 is a partial map of southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta. The border of the United States of America is located to the south. The east portion of the distribution of Plains Sucker, Saskatchewan–Nelson population in Saskatchewan is located in the center region of the map. Markings on the map indicate specific locations where this species has been captured in the area. An insert of the map shows in the top left corner shows a high-level view of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan and the United States of America border, with a rectangle encompassing the southwest of Saskatchewan. Immediately below this insert map is an arrow indicating the direction of north. To the right of the inset map is another inset that contains a legend that shows (by shading in shape relevant to area) First Nations Reserve Lands (brown), Parks (green), and Built-up areas (grey). A map scale of 60 km is located at the bottom right of the image.
Long description
Figure 4 is a partial map of Alberta with Lethbridge located to the north. The border of the United States of America is located to the south. The south portion of the distribution of Plains Sucker, Saskatchewan–Nelson population in Alberta is located southwest, west, and northwest of Lethbridge, and northeast and southeast of Lethbridge. Markings on the map indicate specific locations where this species has been captured in the area. An insert of the map in the bottom right corner shows a high-level view of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, and the United States of America border, with a rectangle encompassing the southwest of Alberta. To the left of the inset map is another inset that contains a legend that shows (by shading in shape relevant to area) First Nations Reserve Lands (brown), Parks (green), and Built-up areas (grey). Immediately to the right of this insert is an arrow indicating the direction of north. A map scale of 50 km is located at the bottom right-centre of the image.
Long description
Figure 5 is a partial map of Alberta with Calgary located in the centre. The border of British Columbia is located to the west. The west portion of the distribution of Plains Sucker, Saskatchewan–Nelson population in Alberta is located northwest, west, and southwest of Calgary, and south and southeast of Calgary. Markings on the map indicate specific locations where this species has been captured in the area. An insert of the map in the top right corner shows a high-level view of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, and the United States of America border, with a rectangle encompassing the west of Alberta. Immediately above this inset map is another inset that contains a legend that shows (by shading in shape relevant to area) First Nations Reserve Lands (brown), Parks (green), and Built-up areas (grey). An arrow indicating the direction of north is located in the top left corner. A map scale of 60 km is located at the bottom left of the image.