TN00065 CREEK CHUBSUCKER ERIMYZON OBLONGUS
Physical description: The body is elongate, and slightly compressed with an adult length of from 90-250 mm SL. This is a robust large scaled sucker. The back is moderately compressed. There are 3, rarely 4 snout tubercles on each side of the snout and no females were found to be tuberculate. The lateral line is absent and there are (40)41-43(46) scales rows crossing the midside. There are (35)38-43(45) circumbody scales and 17-19(21) circumpeduncle scales. There are 11-13 dorsal rays, (6)7 anal rays, (7)9(10) pelvic rays and (14)15-16(17) pectoral rays. The young have a dusky olive back with a yellow-olive dorsolateral stripe and a black midlateral stripe. The lower side and belly are silvery white. The juveniles and adults have a green-olive to dark olive back with golden-green, sometimes brassy, side iridescence. The scale margins are dark olive. The lower side and belly are silvery white and the midlateral stripe is blackish or absent. The blotch-saddles are slightly darker than the ground color or absent. The iris is silvery, orangr or orange-brown, usually with dusky areas *4205*. Reproduction: This species will spawn from March to May, at a minimum water temperature of 11 degrees C, in fresh shallow nontidal waters, over sand to gravel substrates, or in muck bottom ponds *4205,1229,1230*. From 7500-83013 eggs are laid *4205,1229*. The number of eggs varies according to the size of individual, ranging from 8694 eggs from a 111 gram individual to 83013 eggs from a 1110 gram individual *1487*. The eggs are demersal, adhesive, and attach to the substrate or to each other. Ripe eggs are 1.84 mm in diameter, spherical, and light yellow to deep golden yellow with the perivitelline space very narrow and oil globules lacking. They hatch in 96 hours at a mean water temperature of 20 degrees C. The minimum size of a male at maturity is 61 mm, based on the presence of breeding tubercles *1229*. No nest is built, but the gravel is cleaner than the surrounding areas, although it is probably cleaned by spawning activity *1230*. Behavior: The dispersion of this species is non-random *1485*. Stream fish undertake a short spawning migration to headwaters in the spring and move downstream to larger creeks following spawning *1229*. They are more nocturnal than dirunal during spawning migrations *1487*. There is much splashing and excited swimming on the spawning grounds *1230*. Sound production has been reported *2918*. Juveniles aggregate in small schools over vegetated lake shores or in quiet pools of small streams *1229*. The larvae inhabit shallow vegetated areas *1230*, and feed on the bottoms of streams, lakes or ponds *1124*. Origin: This species is native to Atlantic Slope streams *4205,812,816*. Limiting factors: Populations are apparently declining in streams that are subject to siltation *816*. Population parameters: The sex ratio is 1:1 in age groups II and III. There is a marked preponderance of females in age group IV and older. The lack of males older than IV and females older than VII, together with high fecundity implies a high mortality rate. Low breeding population densities of 8-12 adults per acre are common *1486*. The growth rate is most rapid during the first 2 years, declining after that. The males appear to grow faster than the females *1486*. Annulus formation occurs on the scale during March and April *1487*. Aquatic/terrestrial associations: The are associated with Potamogeton spp., Notropis dorsalis, Ericymba buccata, Utricularia sp, Ictalurus nebulosus, and Notemigonus crysoleucas *835,1197,1484,1485,1486*.
| Life History |
References for Life History Codes
835, 1115, 1485, 1197, 1486, 1487, 816, 1229, 1230, 1200, 2918, 1124, 4205
Comments on Life History Codes