Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2021 - 54

Redhorse Roundup
by Rob Criswell photos by the author
Each spring, Pennsylvania hosts a rodeo of sorts. Groups of male
participants, bearing equine-shaped head profiles and sporting
carmine and crimson fins, attempt to corral fillies in close quarter
action. Welcome to the Redhorse Roundup.
Six species of redhorse suckers occur in Pennsylvania-
Silver Redhorse, Smallmouth Redhorse, River Redhorse, Black
Redhorse, Golden Redhorse, and Shorthead Redhorse. All but the
Shorthead Redhorse occur in the Ohio River drainage. The Black
Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, and Golden Redhorse also occur in
the Lake Erie system, and the Golden Redhorse is found in the
Potomac drainage and appears to have been introduced to the
Upper West Branch Susquehanna drainage as well. There are two
subspecies of the Shorthead Redhorse, with one occurring in Lake
Erie and the other in the Susquehanna drainage.
The profile of the head is somewhat horse-like in
appearance, and the body is elongate. Some fins of three
species are reddish and intensify during the spawning
" roundup. " Redhorse bodies are usually silvery to golden (not
black, in spite of the name of one).
These bottom dwellers are typical suckers. The genus name
for the group, Moxostoma, breaks down as Moxo- to suck, and
stoma- mouth. These fish generally feed on insect larvae. The
River Redhorse has strong, crushing molar-like teeth that allow
it to augment its diet with mollusks. Redhorses dwell in a variety
of habitats from large, sluggish rivers to smaller, swift creeks. The
redhorse species are most commonly found in clean, clear, small
to medium-sized rivers.
These suckers may be difficult to tell apart, particularly those
without red fins. Black Redhorses and Golden Redhorses are
most similar, and it is usually necessary to count lateral line scales
and measure the depth of the body near the tail to confidently
identify the fish. Although both have red fins and are found in
the same waters, the River Redhorse has a longer head than the
Smallmouth Redhorse and grows considerably larger. The specific
structure of the lips of each species are different and are also useful
in identifications. The Silver Redhorse and River Redhorse may
rarely reach 10 pounds, and frequently exceed 5 pounds, but the
others are considerably smaller.
The spawning season, during which redhorses often move
into small tributary streams in large numbers, occurs in April
and May, usually in riffles and runs with gravel and rocky
bottoms. As many as 3,000 redhorses have been observed in a
single riffle-run complex.
Most reports of actual spawning involve one receptive female
escorted by two males mating together over a rough nest or
depression. A single female may produce more than 40,000 eggs,
which hatch in 3- to 8-days, depending on water temperature.
Spawning aggregations in these smaller streams during the
spring often represent the only time redhorses are present there all
54
year. Spring sucker anglers and some early trout anglers may be
the only witnesses to this spectacle.
There is a dedicated cadre of non-game anglers who target
the redhorse group, especially the larger species. The Silver
Redhorse is well known for its strong runs and flashy leaps. The
River Redhorse is just a bulldog with fins. Both are more than
willing to inhale a nightcrawler or doughball, or, if you are a
fly angler, a good nymph imitation. The River Redhorse is also
fond of crayfish.
If you are willing to deal with all the bones, redhorses are fine
food fish. The larger the fish, the easier the bones are to remove.
The flesh is firm, white, and tasty. Many anglers maintain that
redhorse flesh is superior to that of many gamefishes. As with
other suckers, one method of preparation includes pressure
cooking and grinding the meat for making delicious fish patties.
The bones of these suckers have frequently been found
in archaeological excavations, evidence that redhorses were
important in the diets of early Native Americans. Early
farmers in the Mississippi River valley fortunate enough to live
streamside seined and trapped Shorthead Redhorse in large
numbers during spring spawning runs, and salted these fish for
food in the winter.
Juvenile redhorses provide forage for many of Pennsylvania's
gamefishes and are sometimes used as bait for Muskellunge,
Northern Pike, and Walleyes. Juvenile redhorses keep well in the
bait bucket or live well.
So, this spring saddle up your rod and hitch up your wading
spurs and ride out to the Redhorse Roundup.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2021
www.fishandboat.com
River Redhorse
Golden Redhorse
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2021

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