Sandhills chub facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sandhills chub |
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The Sandhills chub (scientific name: Semotilus lumbee) is a type of freshwater fish. It belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which includes minnows and carps. There are four kinds of Semotilus fish, and two of them live in South Carolina: the Creek Chub and the Sandhills Chub.
This special fish is found only in two states: North Carolina and South Carolina. You can mostly find it in the Carolina Sandhills area. It also lives in parts of the Cape Fear, Pee Dee, and Santee river systems. The Sandhills chub has a strong body and a large head. Unlike its close relative, the Creek Chub, it does not have a dark spot on its back fin. This fish has very fine scales and a pinkish body. It can grow to be about 9.4 inches long.
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Where the Sandhills Chub Lives
The Sandhills chub mostly lives in the small streams that are the starting points of rivers. These streams are found in the Carolina Sandhills area. The groups of Sandhills chubs are quite steady in these small stream homes.
This fish is considered vulnerable because it lives in a very small area. Most of them are found in the upper part of the Lumber River system. This river is part of the Pee Dee river system. They also live in nearby streams that flow into the Cape Fear river system. Scientists believe there are more than 10,000 adult Sandhills chubs, but the exact number is not known.
What Does the Sandhills Chub Look Like?
The Sandhills chub is a type of minnow. It has a large mouth that points forward. There is a small, flap-like whisker, called a barbel, at the corners of its mouth. This fish usually has nine rays, or support bones, in its back fin. Sometimes, it has a light black spot at the base of this fin, and sometimes it does not.
Its back fin is located behind its belly fins. The tail fin is slightly curved, like a crescent moon. The body of the Sandhills chub often has more than one color. It usually has about 46 scales along its side, which form a line. Its scales are smooth to the touch. When male Sandhills chubs are ready to breed, they get a pinkish color and orange fins. Adult fish usually grow to be between 3.1 and 9.4 inches long. They are bottom-dwellers, meaning they live near the bottom of the small streams they call home.
How Sandhills Chubs Reproduce
Sandhills chubs usually reproduce in April and May. The best time for them to breed is when the water temperature is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. During this time, male chubs grow small bumps called breeding tubercles on their heads.
The male fish will often hold the female down with his tail area under his body. The male mostly guards the nest where the eggs are laid. There are not many animals that try to eat the eggs of the Sandhills chub.
Home Sweet Home: The Sandhills Chub's Habitat
The Carolina Sandhills region is located northeast of the Fall Line Hills. These hills stretch from central North Carolina all the way through central Alabama and eastern Mississippi. This area has loose sand and many small, cold, and fast-flowing streams. These streams are home to many rare plants and animals.
The Sandhills chub likes clear, cool streams that have a medium current. They prefer streams with little to no plants growing in them. These fish are only found in the headwater streams, which are the very beginnings of river systems. These small streams can be easily changed by human activities. Sandhills chubs are also usually found in streams that have clean gravel or sand at the bottom.
Protecting the Sandhills Chub
The Sandhills chub is facing threats because its home, the Carolina Sandhills, is changing. More farms, houses, and tourist areas are being built there. When people build dams in the headwater streams to create ponds for golf courses, it changes how the water flows. This harms the chub's habitat.
Road building can also cause dirt and sand to wash into the streams, which is called siltation. Using bug sprays (pesticides) nearby can also pollute the water. The biggest danger to the Sandhills chub is when its habitat is changed. Also, new types of fish that eat other fish are being put into the North Carolina headwaters, which can harm the Sandhills chub population.
