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Blue chub (Gila coerulea) — Cyprinidae

Blue chub

Gila coerulea
Family: Cyprinidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue chub (Gila coerulea) is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae that grows up to 41 cm.

Length
41 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The blue chub is a cyprinid (Leuciscidae) from western North America. The species has an elongate, silvery body with a bluish tinge on the back and a fairly large mouth. It inhabits rocky pools of creeks and small to large rivers and rocky shores of lakes and reservoirs. As an omnivore it feeds on insects, small zooplankton, algae and plant matter. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue chub?

The Blue chub has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Blue chub live?

The Blue chub lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Blue chub get?

The Blue chub grows to a maximum of about 41 cm. On average the species is around 22 cm.

Is the Blue chub dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue chub is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue chub edible?

The Blue chub is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwe kopvoorn sourced
English name
Blue chub verified
Scientific name
Gila coerulea
Family
Cyprinidae

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
41.0 verified
Average length (cm)
22.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Gila

More from the family Cyprinidae

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