ABSTRACT
Catostomids are a major component of the Ohio River community and, because of their importance, they are considered reliable environmental indicators. This chapter evaluates longitudinal and ecological patterns, and the influence of the family on individual Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) metrics. Historical information for the Catostomidae enables long-term temporal trend assessment; and the overall knowledge for each of the species defines community function. The Ohio River fish community was sampled using boat electrofishing methods at 339 locations along the mainstem between 1990 and 1996. A total of 339 stations were collected using standardized field, laboratory, and data processing methods. Fifteen species of sucker have been collected from the Ohio River. Suckers can be categorized into two groups based on body morphology: deep-bodied and round-bodied. Karr suggested that the family Catostomidae is an important measure of flowing rivers in the midwest; suckers as a component of a freshwater stream and small river community were used when developing the IBI.
