Sicklefin Chub

The sicklefin chub is a small fish which can reach 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) in adulthood. The snout is round and bulbous, and overhangs the lower jaw slightly. It is fairly round and thickest around the nape (the area just in back of the head), and the body tapers significantly until it reaches the tail. Its head is wide and deep, flat on top, with eyes set high on the head. The eyes are not as high on the head as in similar species, and are sometimes covered with a flap of skin. There is a small barbel near the corner of the mouth, and small pustules on the throat. Unlike the sturgeon chub, which it closely resembles, the sicklefin chub has no "keels" (small ridge-like protrusions on its scales). This fish has silvery sides, and is light green or brown on top. The fish often exhibits dark brown or silver specks. In larger individuals, the lower lobe of the caudal fin is often black with a white edge. This fish has large, pointed, sickle-shaped fins, which gives the minnow its name. The dorsal fin originates just over or behind where the pelvic fin originates. When depressed, the first dorsal fin extends beyond the last ray. The tip of the pelvic fin can reach beyond the origin of the pelvic fin. There are eight rays in the anal fin. …