quillback
Carpiodes cyprinus
Fish of lakes and rivers of North America, introduced to Mexico, up to 66 centimeters. It is a commercial catch and lives on the bottom.
Also called: carpa-sugadora-de-pena, carpa-sugadora, quillback
- maximum
- 66 cm
- record/max.
- 2.9 kg
who is the quillback
The quillback carpsucker is a fish of the family Catostomidae and reaches 66 cm and 2.9 kg. It is native to North America, in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, Hudson Bay and Mississippi basins, and in the Atlantic and Gulf rivers of the United States. In Mexico it is exotic, where it was introduced. It lives in pools, backwaters and channels of streams and rivers, and also in lakes. It eats bottom mud, invertebrates such as insects, mollusks and crustaceans, plant debris and sand. It is commercially fished and is not a target of sport fishing.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the quillback; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Fish with a fusiform body and a lower mouth facing downward, a typical trait of catostomids. It has no teeth in the mouth. Like the other carpsuckers, its body shape is similar, so look at its habit of living on the bottom, eating mud and invertebrates, and at the location. Reaches 66 cm.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Native to Canada and the United States; in Mexico it was introduced and is exotic.
Habitat: Pools, backwaters and channels of streams and rivers of small to large size, and also lakes.
rules for the quillback
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
A fusiform, sturdy fish: hold it with both hands, support the body and return it promptly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Carpiodes cyprinus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Carpiodes cyprinusNames by country and language.
