Roundtail chub

Taxobox
name = Roundtail chub
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Cypriniformes
familia = Cyprinidae
genus = "Gila"
species = "G. robusta"
binomial = "Gila robusta"
binomial_authority = Baird & Girard, 1853

The roundtail chub "Gila robusta" is a cyprinid fish of the Colorado River and Rio Yaqui in western North America.

The body is significantly larger forward of the dorsal fin, and posteriorly it is tapered towards the tail. The forehead area is concave. The mouth is largish, but does not reach as far as the pupil of the eye, and is overhung by the snout. The tail is deeply forked. Color is a grayish brown above, and a lighter shade below. It has been recorded at up to 43 cm in length. It is a voracious predator and very prolific in nature, consuming large amounts of fish, crayfish, frogs, and insects.

Despite this voracious nature, the roundtail chub is not a popular fish with anglers and is considered extremely poor on the table due to its bony, smelly, and slimy nature. It is generally considered a rough or trash fish because it doesn't struggle vigorously when caught, and often takes angler's baits who are fishing for more desirable species such as catfish or bass.

It is widespread in the Colorado drainage, being found from the headwaters down to the mouth, as well as in some rivers of northwestern Mexico.

This species is rather variable, and formerly accounted as several species, until intermediate forms were discovered. Recognized subspecies include:
* "Gila robusta grahami"
* "Gila robusta jordani" - small streams along the White River (Nevada)
* "Gila robusta robusta" - small rivers
* "Gila robusta seminuda"

References

*Ira La Rivers, "Fishes and Fisheries of Nevada" (University of Nevada Press, 1994), pp. 388-390
*FishBase_species|genus=Gila|species=robusta|year=2006|month=May