SM Link  Black Buffalo  Photo courtesy of Konrad Schmidt  Black
buffalo - Common name Ictiobus niger - Scientific name Family -
Catostomidae (suckers) Status: SU, G5  IDENTIFICATION: This
large sucker-fish can grow to 37 inches (940 mm) in length. It
has a gray, olive, or bronze back with dark blue and olive
iridescence. It has a white-yellow belly, black to olive-yellow
sides, and olive black fins. It has a large conical head. Its
sucker mouth is located near the bottom of its head.  SIMILAR
SPECIES FOUND IN SOUTH DAKOTA: Similar species that occur in
eastern South Dakota are the bigmouth buffalo and the smallmouth
buffalo. The bigmouth buffalo has a very large ovoid head and a
sharply oblique terminal mouth. The smallmouth buffalo has a
conical head similar to the black buffalo but smaller with
larger eyes. The smallmouth buffalo has a strongly keeled nape,
whereas the black buffalo has a more rounded, weekly keeled
nape. The smallmouth buffalo has a sub-terminal and horizontal
mouth, whereas the mouth of t