Yaqui Chub
| Yaqui chub | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Gila |
| Species: | G. purpurea |
| Binomial name | |
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Gila purpurea (Girard, 1856) |
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The Yaqui chub (Gila purpurea) is a species of freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family. It is found in northern Mexico and the United States. The Yaqui chub is a medium-sized minnow fish that historically occurred in streams of Rios Matape, Sonora, and the Yaqui systems of Sonora, Mexico. It is one of the five species of the Gila genus in Arizona. The Yaqui chub is closely related to G. ditaenia (of Sonora, Mexico), and G. orcutti (of the Los Angeles Plain in California); and shares several physical characteristics with the G. orcutti (Arroyo chub), but proves different by having a black wedge near the base of the caudal fin.
The Yaqui chub has a short and rounded snout, which causes the mouth to be small and slightly subterminal. It has large eyes placed on a thick head, placed on a deep body. This is different from the posterior portion of the body, which is much thinner. The Yaqui chub has enlarged scales that are roughly imbricated. Coloration is usually dark overall, but sometimes has a lighter underside. The Yaqui chub's lateral bands are underdeveloped, making them quite difficult to observe. However, a vertically placed, triangle-shaped spot is usually present on the caudal fin.
Very few Yaqui chub can grow to about 17.8 cm (7 in) long, while the average length of this fish is less than 13 cm (5.1 in) long. Juveniles are usually 40–50 mm (1.6–2 in).
Although the current distribution of the Yaqui chub in Mexico is unknown, there are records that show that this species has been introduced and established in Leslie Creek, in the Swisshelm Mountains of Arizona in 1969. This fish can also be found in the San Bernardino (SBNWR) and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuges of Cochise County in Arizona. Specifically in the SBNWR, the current distribution of the Yaqui chub ranges from Leslie Creek, to the House, Twin, North, and Mesquite Ponds, and the El Coronado Ranch (Turkey Creek). The Yaqui Chub heavily rely on the artesian wells and springs of the SBNWR.
Yaqui chubs prefer living in deep pools of smaller streams with dense vegetation in the water; however, some individuals inhabit cleaner, open areas near the gravel bottoms that are covered with large amounts of algae. Habitat: Deep, vegetated pools of creeks and spring runs.
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