Sicklefin chub facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sicklefin chub |
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The sicklefin chub (Macrhybopsis meeki) is a type of small fish. It belongs to the minnow family, called Cyprinidae. This fish lives only in the United States. You can find it in states like Tennessee and Montana. It is a special fish that needs attention in some areas.
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What's in a Name?
The sicklefin chub was first found in the Missouri River. This was near St. Louis, Missouri. Two scientists, David Starr Jordan and Barton Warren Evermann, described it in 1896. They named it Hybopsis meeki. The name meeki honors Seth Eugene Meek. He was a famous American fish scientist.
Meet the Sicklefin Chub
The sicklefin chub is a small fish. It can grow to about 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) long. Its snout is round and sticks out a little. The fish's body is thick near its head. Then it gets much thinner towards its tail.
Body Features
Its head is wide and flat on top. The eyes are set high on its head. Sometimes a flap of skin covers its eyes. It has a small whisker-like barbel near its mouth. There are also tiny bumps on its throat. Unlike a similar fish, the sturgeon chub, it does not have ridges on its scales.
Colors and Fins
This fish has shiny silver sides. Its back is light green or brown. You might see dark brown or silver spots on it. Older fish often have a black lower tail fin. This part also has a white edge. The fish has large, pointed, curved fins. These fins look like a "sickle," which is how it got its name.
What Do They Eat?
Scientists don't know much about what sicklefin chubs eat. They do have teeth in their throat. Some fish have been found with black fly larvae in their stomachs. This suggests they eat insects. There is also a belief that they feed on the river bottom.
How They Find Food
Their eyes are not very strong. They do not see well. But their bodies are covered with taste buds. These help them find food. They also have taste buds in their mouths. This might mean they sort food with their mouths. They might spit out things they don't want to eat.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Not much is known about how these fish breed. They lay eggs. Male and female sicklefin chubs look very similar. Their colors do not change when they breed. However, males grow small bumps on their fin rays. This happens during breeding season. They likely breed in the spring. These fish are thought to live for a short time.
Where They Live
The sicklefin chub lives in fast-moving rivers. They prefer sandy or fine gravel riverbeds. You can find them across the entire Missouri River. They also live in parts of the Mississippi River. This includes areas near the Ohio River. They are common in the Missouri River. But they are rare in other places. They have also been seen in the lower Kansas River.
Challenges to Their Home
Dams have harmed the sicklefin chub's home. Dams slow down the river currents. This causes silt to settle on the river bottom. The silt covers the sand and gravel beds the fish likes. In 2001, a group called the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) estimated this fish lived in only about half of its old home. The FWS thought about listing it as a threatened species in 1993. But they decided not to.
See also
In Spanish: Macrhybopsis meeki para niños
