Fine-scaled sucker with 11-14 dorsal rays, a shallow cleft between the upper and lower lips, and membranous stays that connect the pelvic fins to the body. This species inhabits lakes and rivers in backwaters and edges of the main current with sandy or muddy bottoms. The body is cylinder in shape that reaches and they reach an average length of around 30 cm. The Bridgelip Sucker can be easily recognized as differing from other suckers except the Mountain Sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus) by the incomplete cleft in the lower lip. Bridgelip Suckers do not have distinct notches at the corner of the mouth separating the upper and lower lips as seen in the Mountain Sucker.