Pantosteus, a subgenus of Catostomus, includes the mountain sucker (Catostomus playthyrnchus), whose speculated older origins in the Miocene/Pliocene can provide insight into the ancient geographical events of western North America. We believe that major geologic events influencing the diversification of mountain suckers include the rise of the Colorado Plateau, the connections between the ancient Snake River system and the Lahontan system and subsequently the connection of the Snake River system to the Columbia Basin, dispersal of mountain suckers across the continental divide, as well as the Pleistocene Bonneville flood. If this is true, we should see evidence of geologic separation and timing through studying the phylogenetics of the mountain sucker. In order to clarify relationships of the mountain sucker with respect to other Pantosteus species, we examined cytochrome b (cyt b) sequences for 144 mountain suckers, 24 other Pantosteus species, and ten outgroup species. Phylogenetic relationships among haplotypes were constructed based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian criterion. In an effort to provide better resolution at some nodes, we also sequenced additional mitochondrial genes (ND1, ND2, ATPase, ND4L, ND4, ND5, ND6, and cyt b) for a subset of 44 individuals taken from the major clades obtained from the cyt b phylogentic analyses. Trees from this data set were also constructed under maximum likelihood and Bayesian criterion. All phylogenetic analysis revealed that mountain sucker are paraphyletic, with two major clades of mountain suckers separated by other members of the subgenus Pantosteus. One clade included two sub-clades, one from the upper Snake River drainage/northern Bonneville/Green River drainage Basins and the other from the southern Bonneville Basin. The other major clade included sub-clades from the Lahontan Basin, Columbia River Basin, and Upper Missouri River Basin. Molecular clock analysis revealed that Pantosteus likely split from Catostomus during the Miocene and that major speciation events within Pantosteus occurred during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Genetic structuring and gene flow estimates for mountain sucker populations, with groupings based on major drainage basins, were calculated with AMOVA and Fst estimates in Arlequin and revealed that most of the genetic structuring was explained by variation among drainage basins with limited gene flow occurring between drainage basins. Based on this study, the role of the Colorado Plateau's geologic history in the evolution of the mountain sucker remains unclear. However, all other geologic events as discussed in this study seem to have played a significant role in the evolution of the mountain sucker.

Swimming performance strongly influences fitness in aquatic organisms and is closely tied to external body morphology. Although this connection has been closely examined at the individual and species level, few studies have focused on this relationship as it pertains to functional group assemblages. Using functional groups based on similarities in habitat use and morphology, I tested the hypothesis that swimming performance can be reliably predicted by functional group composition. I measured swimming performance as burst speed using a simulated predator attack and as prolonged speed using a step-endurance test in a laboratory flume. I measured morphology using geometric morphometric techniques. A difference in swimming behavior in four of the seven species was observed in the step-endurance test. Benthic species exhibited bracing behavior as an alternative to body-caudal fin (BCF) propulsion in the prolonged speed trials. Swimming performance exhibited a weak relationship with functional groups based on habitat or morphology. Rather a species-based model was the best predictor of swimming performance. Although species exhibited variation in swimming performance, body size was the strongest predictor of absolute swimming performance across all models. Relative swimming performance (measured in body lengths/sec) was negatively related to body size. The results of this study suggest that functional groups are not always reliable predictors of performance and they necessitate empirical testing to validate their effectiveness. This study also provides critical swimming performance data for previously unstudied Great Basin fishes which could be valuable for predicting fish passage through culverts, weirs and fish ladders.