What’s A Chubsucker?

The rarely-seen creek chubsucker is native to vegetated, rocky areas of freshwater streams.  If found in your lake, it probably migrated in during a flood event from an adjacent creek.  It seldom grows larger than 2-pounds and has a life expectancy of 5 to 7-years.

Chubsuckers are bottom feeders.  Wikipedia reports they often turn over rocks feeding on crustaceans, aquatic insects, or algae.  Scientists believe they evolved from minnows at least 50-million years ago.  It’s not a game fish or considered important commercially, but game fish feed on chubsucker eggs.  Our past sightings were lakes in Central and North Texas, plus one in Northwest Louisiana.

According to other Wikipedia sources, chubsuckers typically indicate presence of other desirable game fish.  Since much of their native range is protected national and state parks, biologists hope their existence is secure for future generations.  Some voiced concern that dams and siltation pollution could pose risks, but most small streams inhabited by chubsuckers are not large enough to support dams.