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silver chub
silver chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) Photo © Uland Thomas
Features and Behaviors
FEATURES
The silver chub has large eyes that are located on the upper half of the head. The eye diameter is nearly equal to the length of the snout. A barbel is present in each corner of the mouth. The mouth is oriented almost horizontally. The front edge of the dorsal fin is much closer to the tip of the snout than to the base of the tail fin. The body is flattened on the ventral side. The back is green-brown, while the sides and belly are silver-white. There is a white edge on the lower lobe of the caudal fin, and this lobe is darker than the upper lobe. Teeth are present in the throat. Adults may be as much as nine inches long, but most of them are between three and one-half to five and one-half inches in length.
BEHAVIORS
The silver chub lives in lakes and in pools and backwaters of rivers. It eats insects and other small invertebrates as well as plant materials. Spawning occurs in spring.
Illinois Range
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Leuciscidae
Illinois Status: common, native
