| Common Creek Chub | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Semotilus |
| Species: | S. atromaculatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill, 1818) |
|
Semotilus atromaculatus (also known as the Common Creek Chub or simply "the creek chub" though this may refer to other Semotilus as well) is a small minnow found in the eastern two-thirds of the US and eastern Canada. It inhabits small streams and very small rivers.
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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.
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.
The creek chub is considered globally secure and it has been introduced to Utah.