Least chub

Last updated

Least chub
Least chub.jpg
Status TNC G2.svg
Imperiled  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Leuciscinae
Genus: Iotichthys
D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1896
Species:
I. phlegethontis
Binomial name
Iotichthys phlegethontis
(Cope, 1874)
Synonyms
  • Clinostomus phlegethontisCope, 1874

The least chub (Iotichthys phlegethontis) is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae, the only member of the genus Iotichthys.

This species is found only in Utah [2] and more recently in Idaho [3] in the United States. Its native habitat formerly included much of the Bonneville Basin and it was widely distributed in freshwater ponds, swamps, springs, and tributaries around the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake and Sevier Lake. Populations were also abundant in springs within the Snake and Utah valleys. Due to habitat degradation and introduction of non-native fishes, it is currently limited to a few spring complexes in Utah and the Snake River Valley in Idaho. [3]

The least chub is a small fish, with a maximum size of less than 2.5 inches (64 mm). It is the smallest of seven chubs native to Utah. Least chub eat primarily algae and small invertebrates, including mosquito larvae.

Spawning occurs during the spring and early summer. Eggs are fertilized in the water, and then sink until they attach to vegetation or the substrate. No parental care is given to eggs or young. The least chub is a schooling species that prefers areas of dense vegetation in slow-moving water.

The least chub populations suffered a steep decline in the 1940s and 50s, though the decline wasn't noticed until the 70s. Reasons for the decline include habitat destruction from cattle grazing on and trampling streamside vegetation, water diversion, mineral and energy development, and non-native fishes. Studies indicate that where non-native fishes such as largemouth bass, trout, and mosquitofish [4] are introduced, few if any least chub remain.

Though the distribution of the least chub is still limited, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and other conservation groups have reintroduced the fish into suitable habitats, often removing non-native fish prior to stocking. Other conservation efforts include working with ranchers to fence off critical spring complexes to prevent habitat destruction from cattle grazing.

Recently the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources teamed up with mosquito abatement districts in Davis and Salt Lake counties to distribute the fish to 240 backyard ponds to evaluate it as a potential mosquitofish replacement. Researchers will monitor how well the chub compete against the more aggressive mosquitofish in ponds where they are both stocked. Ponds with only the least chub will be monitored to determine whether they can control mosquito larvae as effectively as the mosquitofish or if more chubs will be required to do the same job. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Lake</span> Freshwater lake in Utah County, Utah, United States

Utah Lake is a shallow freshwater lake in the center of Utah County, Utah, United States. It lies in Utah Valley, surrounded by the Provo-Orem metropolitan area. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake. Evaporation accounts for 42% of the lake's outflow, which leaves the lake slightly saline. The elevation of the lake is at 4,489 feet (1,368 m) above sea level. If the lake's water level rises above that, the pumps and gates on the Jordan River are left open. Recently the lake has been at a lower level because of a drought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquitofish</span> Species of fish

The western mosquitofish is a North American freshwater poeciliid fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply mosquitofish or by its generic name, Gambusia, or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the eastern mosquitofish is also referred to by these names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virgin River</span> Tributary of the Colorado River in the southwestern United States

The Virgin River is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. states of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The river is about 162 miles (261 km) long. It was designated Utah's first wild and scenic river in 2009, during the centennial celebration of Zion National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandhills (Nebraska)</span> Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands ecoregion of Nebraska, United States

The Sandhills, often written Sand Hills, is a region of mixed-grass prairie on grass-stabilized sand dunes in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one quarter of the state. The dunes were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohave tui chub</span> Subspecies of fish

The Mohave tui chub is a subspecies of the tui chub endemic to the Mojave River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah chub</span> Species of fish

The Utah chub is a cyprinid fish native to western North America, where it is abundant in the upper Snake River and throughout the Lake Bonneville basin.

Strawberry Reservoir is a large reservoir in the U.S. state of Utah. It is Utah's most popular fishery, receiving over 1.5 million angling hours annually and is part of the Blue Ribbon Fisheries program. Game fish in the reservoir include sterilized rainbow trout, bear lake cutthroat trout, kokanee salmon and crayfish. It is located 23 miles (37 km) southeast of Heber, Utah on U.S. Route 40. The reservoir is situated in Strawberry Valley. This valley is normally part of the Colorado River drainage. The dam was constructed to divert water into Utah Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern mosquitofish</span> Species of fish

The eastern mosquitofish is a species of freshwater fish, closely related to the western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. The eastern mosquitofish is native to the eastern and southern United States from Florida to Pennsylvania and inland to Alabama and Tennessee, while the western mosquitofish has a larger distribution throughout the United States.

The Colorado pikeminnow is the largest cyprinid fish of North America and one of the largest in the world, with reports of individuals up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long and weighing over 100 pounds (45 kg). Native to the Colorado River Basin of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico, it was formerly an important food fish for both Native Americans and European settlers. Once abundant and widespread in the basin, its numbers have declined to the point where it has been extirpated from the Mexican part of its range and was listed as endangered in the US part in 1967, a fate shared by the three other large Colorado Basin endemic fish species: bonytail chub, humpback chub, and razorback sucker. The Colorado pikeminnow is currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, while its NatureServe conservation status is "critically imperiled".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonytail chub</span> Species of fish

The bonytail chub or bonytail is a cyprinid freshwater fish native to the Colorado River basin of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the southwestern United States; it has been extirpated from the part of the basin in Mexico. It was once abundant and widespread in the basin, its numbers and range have declined to the point where it has been listed as endangered since 1980 (ESA) and 1986 (IUCN), a fate shared by the other large Colorado basin endemic fish species like the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, and razorback sucker. It is now the rarest of the endemic big-river fishes of the Colorado River. There are 20 species in the genus Gila, seven of which are found in Arizona.

<i>Cicindela ohlone</i> Species of beetle

Cicindela ohlone, the Ohlone tiger beetle, is endemic to California. It was discovered in 1987 and named and described in 1993. C. ohlone is most closely related to Cicindela purpurea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah roundmouth snail</span> Species of gastropod

The Utah roundmouth snail, also known as the Utah valvata or desert valvata, scientific name Valvata utahensis, is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Valvatidae, the valve snails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog</span>

The Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog or Sierra Nevada Mountain yellow-legged frog is a true frog endemic to the Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada in the United States. It was formerly considered Rana muscosa until a 2007 study elevated the more central and northern populations to full species status, restricting R. muscosa to the southern Sierra Nevada and southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lined topminnow</span> Species of fish

The lined topminnow is a small fish in the genus Fundulus which is found in swamps and backwaters from southern Virginia to Lake Okeechobee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosquitofish in Australia</span> Introduced pest species of fish in Australia

The eastern mosquitofish was introduced to Australia in 1925, and had spread from the northeast coasts to New South Wales, southern Australia, and parts of Western Australia by 1934. By the 21st century, known populations of wild mosquitofish had occurred in every state and territory except the Northern Territory, found in swamps, lakes, billabongs, thermal springs, salt lakes, and ornamental ponds. Mosquitofish are considered a noxious pest, especially in New South Wales and Queensland, and it is illegal to release them into the wild or transport them live into any of the states or territories. Mosquitofish were introduced by military and local councils to control mosquito populations; however, there has been no evidence that Gambusia has had any effect in controlling mosquito populations or mosquito-borne diseases. Studies have shown that Gambusia can suffer mortalities if fed only on mosquito larvae, and survivors show poor growth and maturation. Gambusia typically eat zooplankton, beetles, mayflies, caddis flies, mites and other invertebrates; mosquito larvae make up only a small portion of their diet.

Spotfin chub is a ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae that is endemic to the Tennessee River watershed. Its other common names include turquoise shiner and chromium shiner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rio Grande chub</span> Species of fish

The Rio Grande Chub is a cyprinid fish endemic to the United States. It inhabits the upper Rio Grande and Pecos River systems in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The Rio Grande Chub is native to most of its current range including all three of the states it can be found in. There are non-native populations that currently inhabit Coyote Creek, the Mora River, the Sapello River and other areas in New Mexico. There are currently no studies showing how the Rio Grande Chub is impacting waterways in its non-native range. It has also been proposed that this fish is native to the Canadian River in New Mexico but this has not been proven. It is possible it was introduced there. Natural hybridization can occur between the Rio Grande Chub and the Longnose dace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owens tui chub</span> Subspecies of fish

The Owens tui chub was described in 1973 as a subspecies of tui chub endemic to the Owens River Basin in Eastern California, United States. The Owens tui chub is distinguished from its closest relative, the Lahontan tui chub, by scales with a weakly developed or absent basal shield, 13 to 29 lateral and apical radii, also by the structure of its pharyngeal arches, the number of anal fin rays, 10 to 14 gill rakers, and 52 to 58 lateral line scales. Dorsal and lateral coloration varies from bronze to dusky green, grading to silver or white on the belly. It may reach a total length of 30 centimetres (12 in). Owens tui chub are believed to be derived from Lahontan Basin tui chub that entered the Owens Basin from the north during the Pleistocene Epoch.

References

  1. NatureServe (2013). "Iotichthys phlegethontis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T10847A18235482. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T10847A18235482.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Iotichthys phlegethontis". NatureServe Explorer An online encyclopedia of life. 7.1. NatureServe. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  3. 1 2 Billman, Eric; Stokes, Dallin; Calderwood, Isaac; Diehl, Cody (31 August 2023). "First documentation of Least Chub in the Snake River drainage in Idaho". Western North American Naturalist. 83 (3): 355–364. doi:10.3398/064.083.0306 . Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  4. "Mosquito fish are killing Utah chubs". Deseret News. Oct 23, 2004.
  5. Dougherty, Joseph M. (Feb 3, 2008). "Least-likely aquatic champion to take on top mosquito-eater". Deseret News. Retrieved 3 June 2008.