California Fish Species: Lake Chubsucker

Lake Chubsucker’s range is drainages along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts from eastern Texas, to Virginia and the Mississippi drainages. These smallish suckers, generally less than a foot, prefer clear lakes and slow moving rivers.  They do best in waters with soft bottom, dense aquatic vegetation, and organic debris. Live expectancy is about eight years.

Lake Chubsuckers are dark greenish or brownish colors on the back, fading down the sides to a silvery white belly.  Scale margins have a black outline producing a cross-hatched appearance on the sides. Young fish have a black horizontal that becomes faint or absent in large individuals.  Body is moderately deep and as with most suckers, the mouth is subterminal.

Chubsuckers spawn when temperatures get in the upper sixties.  Spawning takes place in small tributary streams. Females deposit upwards of 20,000 eggs. Eggs are adhesive, setting to the bottom where they attach t submerged items.  They hatch in less than a week.

Lake Chubsuckers are bottom feeders and omnivores.  Their diet is mostly insect larvae, aquatic plants, and tiny crustaceans.