It is a bi-colored fish with the upper parts olive brown to dark green, and the underparts silvery-tan or yellowish.

There are three subspecies, found in different river basins, and some authorities allot this species its own genus Pantosteus.

The scales on the upper half of the body have dark spots which form faint dashed lines.

The total range area of the desert sucker is estimated at 128,000 km2 (49,000 sq mi).

[5] Desert suckers prefer ripply waters, rapids and flowing streams with gravelly bottoms.