Roundtail chub

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iRoundtail chub
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Cypriniformes Family: Cyprinidae Genus: Gila Species: G. robusta
Binomial name
Gila robusta Baird & Girard, 1853

The roundtail chub Gila robusta is a cyprinid fish of the Colorado River and Rio Yaqui in western North America.

The body is significantly larger forward of the dorsal fin, and posteriorly it is tapered towards the tail. The forehead area is concave. The mouth is largish, but does not reach as far as the pupil of the eye, and is overhung by the snout. The tail is deeply forked. Color is a grayish brown above, and a lighter shade below. It has been recorded at up to 43 cm in length.

It is widespread in the Colorado drainage, being found from the headwaters down to the mouth, as well as in some rivers of northwestern Mexico.

This species is rather variable, and formerly accounted as several species, until intermediate forms were discovered. Recongnized subspecies include:

• Gila robusta grahami
• Gila robusta jordani - small streams along the White River (Nevada)
• Gila robusta robusta - small rivers
• Gila robusta seminuda

[edit] References

• Ira La Rivers, Fishes and Fisheries of Nevada (University of Nevada Press, 1994), pp. 388-390
• "Gila robusta". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.