It has 10 dorsal fin rays with a dusky abdomen more pronounced in nuptial males and lacks the red lateral stripe of a similar species, the Tahoe Sucker.

[6] Owens suckers prefer to live in water with temperatures between 100 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit (38-49°C) and pH values ranging from 7.9 to 8.0.

Owens suckers favor waterways with finer substrates as opposed to areas with gravel or rocks.

[3] Although they have been introduced to other waterways, they are native to only one watershed, and the territories they occupy are very limited due to human interaction.

[10] During the 1870s, irrigation projects diverted water away from Owens Valley, which drastically altered the aquatic systems.

Around 1890, catfish, along with carp and salmon, were introduced to the valley, leading to a serious decline in native fish populations.

Despite this, when evaluated on a 1–5 scale, taking into account factors such as area occupied, climate change resistance, and overall tolerance, the Owens sucker received a value of 3.9.

The pelvic fin for the Owens sucker does not appear until the fish reaches lengths of around 18–22 mm, at which point they appear as small buds.

The juveniles tend to seek refuge along stream margins and in backwaters, often hiding among aquatic weeds.

Still, more research is needed to determine whether the Owens sucker could also undergo a return of its genome back to a diploid state.

Additionally, genetic data supports the hypothesis that the Speckled dace and Owens sucker may have been separated due to a volcanic event around 760,000 years ago.