Silver chub facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Silver chub |
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Leuciscus storerianus Kirtland, 1845 |
The silver chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) is a type of freshwater fish that lives in North America. It belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which includes many kinds of minnows and carps.
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About the Silver Chub
The silver chub can grow up to 231 mm (9.1 in) long. Its back is a pale grey-green color. Its sides are shiny silver, and its belly is silvery white. The iris (the colored part) of its eye is white-yellow. You might also see a faint, dark stripe along its side.
Body Features
The silver chub has a slender body. It is a bit flat on its underside. Its mouth is on the bottom of its head and points straight forward. It has a small whisker-like part called a maxillary barbel near its mouth. This helps it find food.
The fish also has a special line along its side called a lateral line. This line helps it sense movements and vibrations in the water. Adult male silver chubs have small bumps called tubercles on their pectoral fins. These bumps help them during breeding.
What Silver Chubs Eat
Silver chubs are mostly planktivores and invertivores. This means they eat tiny living things floating in the water and small creatures without backbones.
Diet Changes with Age
When they are young, silver chubs eat small crustaceans (like tiny shrimp) and midge larvae. As they grow into adults, their diet changes. They start eating mayfly larvae, small mollusks (like snails), and larger crustaceans.
Where Silver Chubs Live
Silver chubs mostly live in large rivers. These rivers often have a lot of silt, which is like fine mud. Sometimes, you can also find them near the mouths of smaller streams that flow into these big rivers.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Silver chubs lay their eggs in late spring or early summer. In Iowa, this happens in late spring. In Wisconsin, it's usually in June and July.
Spawning Habits
In western Lake Erie, silver chubs start laying eggs when the water temperature reaches about 19 °C (66 °F). They lay the most eggs when the water is around 23 °C (73 °F). The spawning season usually finishes by the middle of August. They prefer to lay eggs in warmer water.
Silver chubs lay their eggs on rocks and gravel. After the eggs hatch, the tiny fish (called free embryos) float freely in the water.
Life Span and Growth
Male silver chubs usually live for about three years. Females can live a bit longer, up to four years. Most one-year-old silver chubs are old enough to have their own babies.
As they grow, silver chubs reach different sizes:
- After one year, they are about 124 mm (4.9 in) long.
- After two years, they are about 147 mm (5.8 in) long.
- After three years, they are about 164 mm (6.5 in) long.
Where Silver Chubs Are Found
Silver chubs are found in many parts of the United States.
United States Distribution
They live in a wide area, from southern New York all the way to the Red River systems.
Texas Distribution
In Texas, you can find silver chubs in the Red River and the lower Brazos River. The group of silver chubs in the Brazos River seems to be separate from the other groups. Most other silver chubs live throughout the Mississippi River basin, reaching all the way to Mobil Bay.
Why Silver Chubs Are Important
Silver chubs are considered very good "forage fish." This means they are a food source for other, larger fish. They are also used as bait by people who fish for largemouth and smallmouth black bass.
Name Meaning
The scientific name of the silver chub, Macrhybopsis storeriana, has a special meaning:
- Macrhybopsis comes from Greek words meaning "long rounded face."
- storeriana was named after David H. Storer (1804–1891). He was one of the first people to study fish in North America.
