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Platygobio gracilis

(Richardson, 1836)

Flathead Chub

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105832
Element CodeAFCJB57010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusPlatygobio
Synonyms
Hybopsis gracilis
Other Common Names
Méné à tête plate (FR)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Removed from the genus Hybopsis and returned to the monotypic genus Platygobio by Mayden (1989) and by Coburn and Cavender (1992). This treatment was followed by Sublette et al. (1990) and in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1997-09-17
Edition Date2003-03-05
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widespread in central North America; common and secure in the north, declining at the southern margin of the range, due in large part to the impacts of dams/reservoirs and stream channelization.
Range Extent Comments
Mackenzie and Saskatchewan river drainages, and Lake Winnipeg drainage, in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia; Missouri-Mississippi river basin from southern Alberta and Montana to Louisiana; upper Rio Grande (including Pecos) drainage, New Mexico; common in north, restricted to Mississippi River proper from Illinois south; localized in Arkansas River drainage in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico (Page and Burr 1991).
Occurrences Comments
Hundreds of occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Threatened only in the southern part of the range. Dams/reservoirs are detrimental. Dewatering and stream channelization have contributed to the decline in Kansas (Collins et al. 1995). Backwater productivity may contribute importantly to the prey base, so reduction in natural flooding patterns may be detrimental (Fisher et al. 2002). Extirpated from the upper Arkansas River in Colorado, apparently due to pollution from mining; recolonization after water quality improvement may be prevented by a large water diversion structure (Woodling 1985). Tolerant of organic enrichment of streams (Woodling 1985).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Turbid flowing (moderate to strong current) waters in main channels of small to large rivers; in shallow to fairly deep water over mud, rock, or sand. In Kansas, usually in shallow pools but also in strong current over clean sand bottoms (Collins et al. 1995). May move into smaller streams to spawn (Scott and Crossman 1973).

Reproduction

Relies on flood flows to spawn successfully (Collins et al. 1995). Spawns after rivers have subsided after peak flow, when the temperature is warmer and the bottom is more stable, July-August in Montana, Kansas, and Iowa, when temperature reaches about 23-25 C in Montana. Pflieger (1975) stated that spawning may occur in early spring because chubs less than one inch long were collected in Missouri in late May. Sexually mature at age 2 in Iowa, 4 in Canada (Gould 1985).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaS2Yes
KentuckyS1Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
KansasS1Yes
South DakotaS5Yes
MinnesotaS3Yes
MissouriS1Yes
TennesseeS2Yes
IowaS3Yes
WyomingS5Yes
NebraskaS2Yes
MontanaS4Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
ColoradoS3Yes
ArkansasSHYes
MississippiSHYes
TexasS2Yes
IllinoisSHYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS4Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
SaskatchewanS3Yes
Yukon TerritorySUYes
Roadless Areas (1)
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Long X DivideDakota Prairie Grasslands10,099
References (40)
  1. Baxter, G. T., and J. R. Simon. 1970. Wyoming fishes. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 168 pp.
  2. Coburn, M. M., and T. M. Cavender. 1992. Interrelationships of North American cyprinid fishes. Pages 328-373 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  3. Collins, J. T., S. L. Collins, J. Horak, D. Mulhern, W. Busby, C. C. Freeman, and G. Wallace.1995. An Illustrated Guide to Endangered or Threatened Species in Kansas. University Press of Kansas, Wichita, Kansas.
  4. Cross, F. B., and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas. Second Edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. xvii + 315 pp.
  5. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  6. Eberle, Mark (Fort Hays State University, KS). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  7. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  8. Figg, D. E., and C. M. Bessken. 1995[?]. Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife diversity report: July 1994 - June 1995. v + 104 pp. [perhaps date is 1996]
  9. Fisher, S. J., D. W. Willis, M. M. Olson, and S. C. Krentz. 2002. Flathead chubs, <i>Platygobio gracilis</i>, in the upper Missouri River: the biology of a species at risk in an endangered habitat. Canadian Field-Naturalist 116:26-41.
  10. Gelwicks, G. T., K. Graham, D. Galat, and G. D. Novinger. 1996. Final report: status survey for sicklefin chub, sturgeon chub, and flathead chub in the Missouri River, Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia.
  11. Gould, Dr. William (Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit. Montana State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  12. Gould, W. 1985. Aspects of the biology of the flathead chub (<i>Hybopsis gracilis</i>) in Montana. Great Basin Naturalist 45: 332-336.
  13. Grady, J. M., and J. Milligan. 1998. Status of selected cyprinid species at historic lower Missouri River sampling sites. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fisheries Assistance Office Report, Columbia, Missouri.
  14. Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.
  15. Holton, G. D., and H. E. Johnson. 1996. A field guide to Montana fishes. 2nd edition. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana State Parks and wildlife Interpretive Association, Helena, Montana. 104 pp.
  16. Hrabik, R. A. 1995. Letter to Dr. Paul McKenzie (USFWS) on the status and distribution of Platygobio gracilis. 2 August, 1995. Personal communication.
  17. Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
  18. Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  19. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  20. Matthews, W. J., and D. C. Heins, editors. 1987. Community and evolutionary ecology of North American stream fishes. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman. viii + 310 pp.
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  22. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  23. Nesler, Tom (Colorado Division of Wildlife). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. May 2000.
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  29. Patton, Tim M. (Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Oklahoma University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps of Wyoming. Review requested by Pilar Hernandez, ABI. April 2000.
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  31. Pflieger, W. L. and T. B. Grace. 1987. Changes in the fish fauna of the lower Missouri River, 1940-1983. Pages 166-181 in W. J. Matthews and D. C Heins (editors). Community and Evolutionary Ecology of North American Stream Fishes. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma.
  32. Propst, David. L. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. Endangered Species Biologist. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, NM. March 2000.
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  34. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
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