Lake chub

📖 Overview

Adults inhabit virtually any body of water, standing or flowing, large or small . Common in gravel-bottomed pools and runs of streams and along rocky lake margins . Mostly found in shallow water, but may move to deeper parts of lakes during hot weather . They feed on zooplankton, algae, terrestrial and aquatic insects, and small fishes .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 7 - 9; Vertebrae: 39 - 44. Couesius plumbeus is distinguished by having the following characters: barbel at corner of large, barely subterminal mouth; moderately pointed snout; large eye; head flattened above and below; dorsal fin origin over or slightly behind pelvic fin origin; complete lateral line, 53-70 lateral scales; 8 anal rays, and pharyngeal teeth 2,4-4,2 . Spineless fins, normal jaws, and tiny barbel at the corner of the mouth . Body moderately compressed and slender, coloration include brown to green above, dark stripe along silver gray side, darkest on young and large male, sometimes black specks on side and belly, dusky caudal spot. Large male may have red at pectoral and pelvic fin origins, corners of mouth . In some populations, breeding males develop bright orange-red patches on sides of head and at bases of pectoral fins, but the presence of this color varies from place to place .: fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

In the laboratory, lake chubs have expressed free-running circadian rhythms that are among the most precise of the few fish species studied to date. These fish are usually diurnal in the laboratory, but in the wild they can be diurnal, crepuscular, or nocturnal. The lake chub has large optic lobes in its brain and is therefore presumed to be a good sight feeder. It can, however, feed at night also. Comparisons with other freshwater fishes such as stickleback, northern pike, sculpin, and burbot have revealed that it has a superior hearing capacity.

🦐 Diet

The diet of the lake chub is varied: zooplankton, insects, aquatic insect larvae, and algae. The largest individuals can capture small fishes. The lake chub itself can be eaten by large predatory fishes and is therefore suitable as bait for fishing.

🥚 Reproduction

Spawning individuals form schools that move from lakes or deeper parts of streams to shallower water . Also Ref. 10280.

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 6.5 - 7.8; potamodromous . Temperate; 4°C - 25°C ; 66°N - 40°N North America: Alaska (Yukon River drainage); throughout most of Canada and northern USA; south to Delaware River in New York, south end of Lake Michigan, Illinois, Platte River system in Colorado, and Columbia River drainage in Washington, USA.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Lake chub is an edible species."

⚡ Nutrition

Detailed nutritional data for Lake chub is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Lake chub has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 13 records indexed .

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