California Fish Species: Creek Chubsucker

Creek Chubsucker’s native range is the eastern waters including the Mississippi river drainage, Atlantic slope streams from Maine to Georgia and Gulf slope streams east to Escambia River. They prefer low-gradient, slow-moving, sandy-bottomed steams.  Chubsuckers tend to associate with aquatic vegetation, leaf packs, or submerged tree roots. Generally a solitary fish, juveniles will form small schools.  Live expectancy is approximately six years.

A small sucker, with a maximum size of 16 inches, Creek Chubsuckers have dark golden bronze colored backs that transitions to a cream/whitish belly.  Scales have dark margins; giving Chubsuckers a cross hatched appearance. Mouths end below the tip of snout.  Sides typically have five to eight dark blotches.

When the water temperatures reach 60 degrees Fahrenheit, Chubsuckers begin to spawn. Males defend territories over gravel in small streams. Females indicate readiness to spawn by burying her snout in gravel.  Mating is in pairs. Semi-adhesive eggs settle to the bottom where they hatch in four to five days.  No parental care is given. Feeding  begins in about a week.

Creek Chubsuckers feed primarily on invertebrates. Their diet also includes organic detritus, algae, diatoms, and zooplankton. Typical Foods: Various aquatic invertebrates.