The clear chub (''Hybopsis winchelli'') is a species of

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of ...

in the carp family ( Cyprinidae).

Description

''Hybopsis winchelli'' is a species of freshwater fish with terminal maxillary barbels at exist in various degrees of development. Some populations have well developed barbels while others have rudimentary barbels. Other populations have barbels that are nonexistent. Just as the barbel development is variable, so is the pigmentation of the fish. Most populations exhibit a dark band that runs laterally along the sides, opercle, snout and causal base of the fish. In most populations, the pigmentation intensifies at the causal base that forms an ill-defined, continuous causal spot. There may also be a predorsal stripe and a small dark spot on the dorsal fin. The scales themselves have a pigment concentration along the edges of the scales so that they give the fish a cross-hatched appearance. The sides below the lateral line are white, and the only melanophores are scattered along the base of the anal fin. The head of the fish is flat with a rounded conic snout that overhangs a small, central mouth. The eyes are relatively large, and the scales are relatively large and uniform all over the body of the fish. The lateral line is straight and completely pored with about 39-42 scales. The largest specimens measure about 70mm in length.

Habitat

The habitat of the clear chub includes creeks and rivers ranging from small to medium sizes. The clear chub usually prefers sand-silt bottoms, or pools adjacent to riffle areas.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Spawning usually occurs between the months of February to March in water temperatures of 10-17 degrees Celsius. The larvae usually remain in shallow water, which is generally less than 1 meter deep that only moves at a rate of 1.8-4.0 cm/s.

Distribution

The Range of the clear chub includes the eastern tributaries of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

, southwestern

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, and extends east along the Gulf Slope to and including the

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

and

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, as well as the

Perdido River Perdido River, historically Rio Perdido (1763), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 15, 2011 river in the U.S. states of Alabama and Florida; the Perdido, a desig ...

system east to the Apalachicola River basin, and

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

drainages from the

Ocklockonee River The Ochlockonee River ( ) is a fast running river, except where it has been dammed to form Lake Talquin in Florida, originating in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and flowing for before terminating in Florida. Background The name is from the Hi ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and Flint River in Georgia, to the Mississippi River in Mississippi.

Etymology

The species name, ''winchelli'', originates from Professor

Alexander Winchell Alexander Winchell (December 31, 1824, in North East, New York – February 19, 1891, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) was a United States geologist who contributed to this field mainly as an educator and a popular lecturer and author. His views on evol ...

. He provided Dr. Girard with the specimens he needed to categorize the clear chub. Winchell acquired his specimens from the Black Warrior River, Alabama.

References