Introduction
The changing climatic patterns and habitat destruction are two trends that are affecting different animal and plant species. The Santa Ana Sucker is one of the endangered fish species and it is found in the freshwaters of California. Human activities could be blamed for the challenges facing this aquatic organism. Some of the affected areas where this fish species is found include Santa Clara River, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Gabriel. A detailed analysis of this endangered organism can help shed more light and introduce evidence-based approaches to protect it from becoming extinct.
Background Information
The selected organism for this discussion is native to the freshwaters of California, United States. Its scientific name is Catostomus santaanae and it resembles the Mountain Sucker (Buth and Crabtree 440). The species is easily identifiable using its distinctive silvery under-parts, dark grey body, and ray-finned shape (Nguyen-Phuc 107). The organism feeds on a wide range of natural materials, such as detritus, diatoms, and algae (Nguyen-Phuc 108). Analysts and environmentalists have revealed that the Santa Ana Sucker is restricted to a small area or habitat, a scenario that makes it vulnerable to changes in seawater systems and events.
Different agencies undertake numerous investigations to identify creatures that might be endangered or threatened by climatic changes. For instance, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the Santa Ana Sucker as one of the fish species that was recording a declining population in 2000 (Nguyen-Phuc 107). The report went further to indicate that habitat losses, isolation, and environmental degradation were the leading causes of the situation (Nguyen-Phuc 107). The subsequent impacts include hydrological changes, thereby putting the species at risk of extinction (Buth and Crabtree 440). The fact that the selected fish species is endemic to California means that any significant drop in its population could be disastrous.
Organism Analysis
Ecologists and fishermen identify the Santa Ana Sucker as a relatively small organism. In terms of size, adults will attain a length of around 10 inches or 25 centimeters (Greenfield et al. 168). However, mature organisms could be smaller than 9 inches depending on the existing environmental factors (Santa Ana Watershed Association 8). The population size for this species is currently unknown or unavailable due to the recorded variations. However, experts believe that the number of such organisms in their respective regions have been declining significantly.
The Santa Ana Sucker plays a crucial role in supporting the sustainability and integrity of its ecosystem. Specifically, it is part of the existing dynamic food chain, promotes cycling of nutrients, and makes the aquatic environment more resilient. They have continued to offer genetic reserves, energy, and information that could explain why the current ecosystems continue to thrive. Human activities could be blamed for the current classification of this species as endangered. For example, people are known to cut trees and vegetative cover on the shorelines (Greenfield et al. 168). They engage in industrial activities that have led to global warming and subsequent heavy downpours. The loss of vegetation due to human engagements has led to increasing levels of sedimentation. Consequently, spawning areas for the species have been altered, thereby affecting its sustainability.
Ecology
The selected fish species is found in the medium-sized streams of California. Investigations completed in the past have indicated that the organism prefers freshwater environments where it thrives optimally. In most cases, such streams tend to have depths of not more than one meter (Greenfield et al. 169). The temperatures tend to be below 22 OC. during flood conditions, most of these organisms would withstand the changes without significant impacts on their existence. They will prefer streams characterized by boulders, rubbles, and sand.
As integral creatures in the wider ecosystem, these creatures play a significant role in the food chain. Specifically, they consume diatoms and algae, thereby ensuring that their volumes remain under control. They will feed on aquatic insects as a source of food. The major predators feeding on the Santa Ana Sucker include raccoons (Nguyen-Phuc 107). By eating various organisms, this organism helps manage their populations at optimal levels, thereby increasing the sustainability of the habitat.
To succeed as an aquatic organism, the Santa Ana Sucker is characterized by unique attributes and adaptations. First, the creatures have fins that make it easier for them to swim in the bust-and-boom cycles of the local rivers. Second, they are slivery and grayish in color, a unique feature that helps them escape a wide range of predators (Huntsman et al. 401). Third, their large lips equipped with cartilaginous rights make it easier for them to scrape different food sources, including algae. Fourth, the small size of less than 10 inches makes it easier for them to swim fast irrespective of the existing stream currents.
If these organisms become extinct, chances are high that the identified predators will be endangered since the food chain will be disoriented. This possible outcome would mean that the specific streams might record increasing volumes of algae and diatoms. The changes observed in the past have led to higher levels of invasive plant species, such as water hyacinths. Such plants are capable of triggering habitat losses, thereby making it impossible for these organisms to survive optimally (Nguyen-Phuc 109). Similarly, emerging fishes are capable of displacing or feeding on the Santa Sucker, thereby affecting the current population.
As described above, environmental and climatic changes are impacting negatively on this organism. Increasing downpours result in higher stream currents, a trend that clears algae or washes most of the creatures downstream. Increasing temperatures have led to hotter aquatic environments that are becoming unfavorable for these organisms (Greenfield et al. 168). Increasing and declining water supplies in most of the streams continue to affect the organism’s population size and survival (Nguyen-Phuc 110). This outcome arises from the negative impacts on the species’ optimum conditions.
Interesting Facts
While the selected organism is under threat, future studies are still needed to learn more about it and consider how to introduce additional protection mechanisms. Such analyses can focus on their interactions with their immediate environments and whether they could be relocated to other regions for conservation purposes. Human beings would need to engage in a wide range of activities to help remedy this organism (Minear and Wright 5). Key efforts could include protecting the natural environment and reducing emissions since they eventually trigger climate change. Being a scientist focusing on this organism, the specific tests I would consider would include whether the species could be introduced in a new environment and survive and how to maximize breeding. These two efforts ensure that conservation efforts for the species are taken to the next level. Additionally, I could consider examining the overall effect of increasing global temperatures on the overall population size of the Santa Ana Sucker.
Conclusion
The studied organism is a small fish that measures 10 inches or less. It is currently an endangered species despite the fact that it plays critical roles in the Californian aquatic ecosystem. The species remains an important player in the described food chain. Human activities, global warming, and climatic changes are affecting the survival and sustainability of the organism. Coordinated conservation efforts, analyses, and examinations are needed if the global community is to reduce this organism’s chances of extinction.
Image of the Santa Ana Sucker
Works Cited
Buth, Donald G., and Claude B. Crabtree. “Genetic Variability and Population Structure of Catostomus santaanae in the Santa Clara Drainage.” Copeia, vol. 1, no. 2, 1982, pp. 439-444.
Greenfield, David W., et al. “Some Aspects of the Life History of the Santa Ana Sucker, Catostomus (Pantosteus) Santaanae (Snyder).” Calif. Fish and Game, vol. 56, no. 3, 1970, pp. 166-179.
Huntsman, Brock M., et al. “Joint-Species Analysis Reveals Potential Displacement of Native Fishes by Non-Native Fishes Within the Santa Ana River, California.” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, vol. 79, no. 9, 2022, pp. 1389-1406.
Minear, Tobby J., and Shelly A. Wright. Sediment Dynamics Affecting the Threatened Santa Ana Sucker in the Highly-modified Santa Ana River and Inset Channel, Southern California, USA. American Geophysical Union, 2015.
Nguyen-Phuc, Bao-Quang. “Nutritional Physiology of the Santa Ana Sucker (Catostomus santaanae): A Threatened Freshwater Fish Endemic to Southern California.” Acta Zoologica, vol. 102, no. 1, 2021, pp. 105-116.
Santa Ana Watershed Association. Habitat Variability and Distribution of the Santa Ana Sucker, Catostomus santaanae, in the Santa Ana River from the Confluence of the Rialto Channel to the Prado Basin. Santa Ana Sucker Conservation Team, 2012.