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Creek Chub - Semotilus atromaculatus
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Species is stable to increasing but faces some level of threat from warming climate
General Description
The creek chub is native to prairie streams in the extreme eastern part of Montana and is most common in the smaller Perennial Prairie Stream Ecological System. It differs from most minnows in that, similar to trout, the males dig a nest for the spawn and cover the fertilized eggs with stones to protect them. Creek chubs are also more piscivorous than most minnows, readily eating other small fish. In several areas of the U.S., creek chub are used as bait fish. They can attain a length of about 6 inches in Montana and 12 inches elsewhere.
Diagnostic Characteristics
The creek chub is silvery overall, often with purple iridescence; The back is olive and the underside white. Young have a prominent dark midside band extending from the tip of the snout to the tail fin; the band fades on older fish. The black spot at the front of the dorsal fin base is vague or absent in immature specimens. Breeding males usually have a reddish cast. A small, flap-like barbel is located in a groove of the upper lip just above each corner of the mouth, but is sometimes absent. Breeding males have a few pronounced projections on the head and smaller ones on the body and pectoral fins.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Western Hemisphere Range
Range Comments
Native range includes the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee River drainages, from eastern Montana, Canada and North Dakota south to Louisiana and Texas; Mississippi River from headwaters to mouth. In Montana, this species is found far east of the continental divide in streams of the Northwestern Great Plains (Yellowstone River and Little Missouri) Ecoregions. Expansions of the creek chub to the Upper Missouri basin is due to introductions.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 400
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Creek chubs show a high preference for creek habitat. They are less frequent along the margins of rivers, lakes, and impoundments.
Food Habits
Creek chubs are very carnivorous. The diet includes insects, crayfish, snails, worms, and a considerable amount of fish. Also a small amount of vegetation is consumed.
Reproductive Characteristics
Creek chubs are sexually mature at the end of the 2nd or 3rd growing season. Spawning occurs from late March through June. The male builds the nest and may spawn with several females.
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Musuem of Natural History. 867 p.
- Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Rainbow trout, Kamloops trout, Steelhead trout Salmo gairdneri Richardson. pp. 184-191. In: Freshwater fishes of Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 p.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?
Barfoot, C.A. 1993. Longitudinal distribution of fishes and habitat in Little Beaver Creek, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 66 p.- Barfoot, C.A. and R.G. White. 1999. Fish assemblages and habitat relationships in a small northern Great Plains stream. The Prairie Naturalist 31(2):87-107.
- Duncan, M.B. 2019. Distributions, abundances, and movements of small, nongame fishes in a large Great Plains river network. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 255 p.
- Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
- Mullen, J.A. 2007. Spatiotemporal variation of fish assemblages in Montana prairie streams. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 102 p.
- Mullins, M.S. 1991. Biology and predator use of cisco (Coregonus artedi) in Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 68 p.
- Rosenthal, L.R. 2007. Evaluation of distribution and fish passage in relation to road culverts in two eastern Montana prairie streams. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 78 p.
- Stash, S.W. 2001. Distribution, relative abundance, and habitat associations of Milk River fishes related to irrigation diversion dams. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 82 p.
- Stringer, A.L. 2018. Status of Northern Pearl Dace and chrosomid dace in prairie streams of Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 150 p.
- Wuellner, M.R. 2007. Influence of reach and watershed characteristics on fish distributions in small streams of eastern Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 80 p.
- Young, B.A., T.L. Welker, M.L. Wildhaber, C.R. Berry, and D. Scarnecchia (eds). 1997. Population structure and habitat use of benthic fishes along the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers. 1997 Annual report of Missouri River Benthic Fish Study PD-95-5832 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 207 p.
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