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Wildlife Roundtail Chub Page
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 Photo by: John Woodling |
Roundtail Chub
Gila robusta
Habitat: A large river fish, roundtail occupy slow moving waters adjacent to areas of faster water. Groups of adult roundtail concentrate in quiet swirling water adjacent to fast moving water, swimming in small groups into the faster water "presumably to feed" (Minckley 1973). Young prefer shallow river runs while juvenile chubs concentrate in river eddies (Valdez, et. al. 1982) and irrigation ditches (Wiltzius 1978).
Description: A moderately streamlined minnow; caudal peduncle not pencil thin; length of head divided by depth of keel is greater than 3. Scales minute, may be absent locally; fins falcate; dorsal and anal fins normally have 9 anal rays. Adults silvery shading dorsally to dusky yellow or light green; spawning males have a pink cast to their fins. Adults can attain 18 inches in length and two pounds in weight.
Range in Colorado: The roundtail has historically been the most common member of the genus Gila in the Colorado River Basin extending up to the mountain foothills (Holden and Stalnaker 1975). In Colorado, the roundtail chub is found in the Colorado River mainstem and larger tributaries (e.g., White, Yampa, Dolores, San Juan, and Gunnison rivers). Status: Federal Candidate Species
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Species Occurrence Tool
(*) NDIS has no county occurrence data for fish at this time.
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