CatchRules

Home · Species · Roundtail Chub

Photo of a Roundtail Chub

Species profile

Roundtail Chub

Gila robusta

Bony fishIUCN: Vulnerable197 iNat observations

At a glance

Roundtail Chub (Gila robusta) is an IUCN Vulnerable bony-fish species regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

Confirmed by 175 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

  • Native to the Colorado River basin, this chub thrives in warm, rocky desert rivers.
  • Can reach roughly 15 inches in length, making it a notably large member of the minnow family.
  • Listed as vulnerable due to invasive predators like smallmouth bass displacing it from native rivers.
  • Omnivorous, consuming insects, algae, and small invertebrates depending on season and availability.

Background

The roundtail chub (Gila robusta) is a cyprinid fish in the Gila genus, of southwestern North America. It is native to the Colorado River drainage basin, including the Gila River and other tributaries, and in several other rivers. It is part of the “robusta complex”, which includes the Gila robusta robusta, G.r. grahami, and G.r. seminuda.

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Roundtail Chub article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.