Suckers range in size from six to 24 inches. They are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material along the bottom of streams and lakes. Suckers are spring spawners. During the spawning period, males develop small, raised structures called tubercles on their head and fins. Suckers migrate upstream and spawn in groups in shallow, swift water.
Suckers are a main food item of osprey and eagles.
They are fun to fish for and although few people have tried them, they are excellent to eat. They have firm, white, light-tasting meat, especially during spring. Gar are large and can reach three feet in length. Longnose gar are found around weeds and sunken logs in lakes and slack-water areas of large streams. They can survive in water with low oxygen levels because their unusual swim bladder allow them to breathe oxygen from the air.