Semotilus atromaculatus (also known as the Common Creek Chub or simply "the creek chub" though this may refer to other Semotilus

Semotilus

Semotilus is the genus of creek chubs, ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family. The term "creek chub" is sometimes used for individual species, particularly the Common Creek Chub, S. atromaculatus. The Creek Chub are a species of minnows that can grow from 6 to 10 inches and resemble the...

as well) is a small minnow

Minnow

Minnow is a general term used to refer to small freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as bait fish or for fishing bait. More specifically, it refers to small freshwater fish of the carp family.-True minnows:...

found in the eastern two-thirds of the US and eastern Canada. It inhabits small streams and very small rivers.

Distribution

The creek chub was once abundant in the Lake Erie watershed but is now seen much less frequently. Its current range is the eastern two-thirds of the US and south-east Canada.

Appearance

The creek chub is a small chub that has a greenish-bronze back and a white belly, with a dark stripe running from the nose to the tail along the lateral line. However in some places such as creeks or shallow ditches they have dark brown or black backs, white bellys, and a stripe in the middle that can be brown pink or yellowish. They are usually 5-7 inches in length, but have been known to grow up to 12 inches. They can be identified from other common minnow species by the black moustache on their upper lip, along with a black dot on their dorsal fin. During the breeding season males get small keratin based bumps, called tubercles, on their head which are used in ritualized combat.

Conservation status

The creek chub is considered globally secure and it has been introduced to Utah.

External links

• Information from NatureServe