Nocomis micropogon

Nocomis micropogon
River Chub – Nocomis micropogon – Oconaluftee River
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
LeuciscidaeNocomis micropogon(Cope)1865River Chub

Nocomis micropogon

Unique Characters: Large, stout body. Conical barbel at corner of large, slightly subterminal mouth. Long snout; small eye high on head. Usually fewer than 60 tubercles on head that do not extend behind the eyes, rarely on top of head or to occiput; tubercles on snout and below nostril. Breeding male has pink-blue head with large hump.

Similar Species:

Bigmouth Chub, Nocomis platyrhynchus, and Bull Chub, Nocomis raneyi, nearly identical to River Chub but the tubercles in these two species extend on the head from the snout to well behind the eyes. Bull Chub also has a smaller mouth and is restricted to the Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse basins, while the Bigmouth Chub is endemic to the New basin.

Nocomis tubercles
A. Bluehead Chub – N. leptocephalus. B. River Chub – N. micropogon. C. Bigmouth Chub – N. platyrhynchus.
Photo Credit: Luke Etchison NCWRC
Nocomis platyrhynchus
Bighead Chub – Nocomis platyrhynchus – New
Nocomis raneyi
Bull Chub – Nocomis raneyi

Bluehead Chub
Nocomis leptocephalus

Nocomis leptocephalus
Bluehead Chub – Nocomis leptocephalus

Bluehead Chub Nocomis leptocephalus. Strongly whorled intestine and tubercles on the head behind the nostrils.

Creek Chub
Semotilus atromaculatus

Semotilus atromaculatus
Creek Chub – Semotilus atromaculatus

Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus. Has a small flap-like triangular barbel in the groove near the corner of the mouth and a well-defined black spot at the base of the dorsal fin. Dorsal fin origin is behind pelvic fin origin.

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