Southern_leatherside_chub

Southern leatherside chub

Southern leatherside chub

Species of fish

The Southern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda aliciae) is a ray finned fish in the family Cyprinidae, commonly known as the carp and minnow family. It is endemic to Utah In the United States. Found along the southeastern margins of the Bonneville basin in the American Fork, Provo River, and Spanish Fork drainages of the Utah Lake Basin and the San Pitch River, East Fork Sevier River, Beaver River, and the lower, middle, and upper Sevier River drainages of the Sevier River Basin. They have been extirpated from the Provo River as well as the Beaver River. They are listed as imperiled by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. As with most fishes habitat loss/degradation as well as introduced invasive species.[2]

Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...

Morphological/Meristic Characteristics

The Southern leatherside chub is very similar to Northern Leatherside Chub and they were formerly considered the same species, Leatherside Chub (Gila copei).[3] Adult size varies between 60 to 110 mm (2.4 to 4.3 in) (Standard Length).[4] This species exhibits a fusiform body shape with forked homocercal caudal fins. The most pronounced morphological difference between the two species is the Southern leatherside chub's rostrum comes to a more defined point than their Northern counterpart.[2]

Life cycle

The Southern leatherside chub is a relatively short lived fish and matures at age 2-3 and has a maximum recorded age of 8 years. The first spawning event typically happens at age 2-3. They have a strong selection for their spawning habitat choosing small cobble in both pool and riffle habitats with little to no flow.[5]

Range

The Southern leatherside chub's current range is limited to Utah Lake and the Sevier River system in Utah, USA. Historically they also inhabited the Provo and Beaver river systems, but they likely have gone extinct in these systems.[6] The Weber River system is an apparent boundary that separates the Northern leatherside chub (Lepidomeda copei) and Southern leatherside chub in northern Utah.[2]

Habitat

These fish are found in cooler temperature water with moderate currents in creeks, rivers, pools, or riffles where they can continuously feed.[4] However, there is a general preference for pools rather than riffles.[4] The Southern Leatherside Chub also shows more rapid growth rates in warm water environments (19 °C (66 °F)) than the Northern Leatherside Chub.[7]

Population threats

The Southern leatherside chub is considered a species of greatest concern according to the Utah Division of Wildlife.[3] This species is threatened by the fragmentation of its habitat caused by water abstraction for irrigation, channelization, damming, urbanization, and poor farming practices. It is also threatened by introduced predatory fish such as brown trout (Salmo trutta). Environmental factors including seasonal drought also play a significant role in population dynamics which result in low water flows.

References

  1. [1]
    NatureServe (2013). "Lepidomeda aliciae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202132A18230026. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202132A18230026.en.
  2. [2]
    Belk, Mark (2007). "Biological Status of Leatherside Chub: A Framework for Conservation of Western Freshwater Fishes" (PDF). Fisheries.org. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  3. [3]
    "Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative". wri.utah.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  4. [4]
    Lee; et al. (1980). Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes.
  5. [5]
    Billman, Eric J.; Wagner, Eric J.; Arndt, Ronney E. (July 2008). "Reproductive Ecology and Spawning Substrate Preference of the Northern Leatherside Chub". North American Journal of Aquaculture. 70 (3): 273–280. doi:10.1577/A07-044.1. ISSN 1522-2055.
  6. [6]
    Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2024). "Lepidomeda aliciae" in FishBase. February 2024 version.
  7. [7]
    Belk, M. C.; Johnson, J. B.; Wilson, K. W.; Smith, M. E.; Houston, D. D. (June 2005). "Variation in intrinsic individual growth rate among populations of leatherside chub (Snyderichthys copei Jordan & Gilbert): adaptation to temperature or length of growing season?". Ecology of Freshwater Fish. 14 (2): 177–184. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0633.2005.00091.x. ISSN 0906-6691.
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