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Nocomis leptocephalus

(Girard, 1856)

Bluehead Chub

G5Secure Found in 19 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105219
Element CodeAFCJB26040
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusNocomis
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
Has hybridized with Campostoma anomalum in Clark Creek, Wilkinson County, Mississippi (Grady and Cashner 1988).

Morphological and reproductive-behavioral data indicate that the genus Nocomis is monophyletic (Maurakis et al. 1991). Morphological data indicate that the biguttatus group of Nocomis is most closely related to the micropogon group (Lachner and Jenkins 1971), whereas reproductive-behavioral data indicate that N. leptocephalus and N. biguttatus form a monophyletic group (Maurakis et al. 1991).

Three subspecies: leptocephalus, interocularis, and bellicus.
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-09-16
Change Date1996-09-16
Edition Date2010-01-21
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
Range includes Atlantic and Gulf slope drainages from the Shenandoah River, Virginia, to the Pearl River, Mississippi; lower tributaries of the Mississippi River in Mississippi and Louisiana; upper New River drainage, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina; and Bear Creek (Tennessee River drainage), Alabama and Mississippi. Range is mostly above the Fall Line (except in Alabama and Mississippi) and does not include peninsular Florida. This species is common in most clear Atlantic streams, locally common in Gulf streams. This chub is known from, and probably introduced into, the Escambia River drainage of Alabama and Florida and the Tennessee River drainage and Cane Creek, Mitchell County, North Carolina. In Virginia, it has been introduced into the Rappahannock, South Branch Potomac (Straight Creek), and possibly into the South Fork Shenandoah drainages. Source: Page and Burr (1991) and Nico (2009).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Bluehead chubs have a stout body, large dark-edged scales on the back and upper sides, small eyes, and fairly short rounded snout. A barbel (fleshy projection) is present at the corner of the mouth. The tail fin is very shallowly forked and has rounded lobes. In most areas, the large loop of the intestine is visible through the body wall of young individuals. Color is olive on upper side, with a dusky iridescent yellow stripe along the back and a dusky stripe along the brassy iridescent green side. The fins are light yellow to red-orange. Breeding males have a large hump on top of the dark blue head, plus large tubercles on the head behind the nostrils, orange or blue sides, and orange fins. Maximum total length is 10 inches (26 cm). Nest mounds usually are a little more than 2 feet wide and 4-5 inches high.

Habitat

Habitat includes high to low gradient, cool to warm headwaters, creeks, and small to medium rivers that range from usually clear to generally turbid and have highly varied substrate, from bedrock to much sand and silt but with some gravel. This chub inhabits swift current and pools. It spawns on gravel mound nests made by males.

Ecology

An introduced population of rough shiner (Notropis baileyi) in the Chattahoochee River system may be responsible for an increase in the abundance of bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus, a nest associate), and a decrease in the abundance of weed shiner (Notropis texanus), which may be affected by competition for food or habitat (Walser et al. 2000).

Reproduction

Bluehead chubs spawn on gravel mound nests made by males from April to early July, mostly before mid-June. Individuals become sexually mature at about 2 years, live about 4 years at most.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaSNAYes
MississippiS5Yes
VirginiaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
LouisianaS4Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
GeorgiaS4Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
Roadless Areas (19)
Georgia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Ellicott Rock AdditionChattahoochee National Forest690
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Mississippi (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sandy Creek Rare Ii AreaHomochitto National Forest2,620
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Virginia (12)
AreaForestAcres
Adams PeakGeorge Washington National Forest7,135
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
Northern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest9,444
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
Shawvers Run AdditionJefferson National Forest1,927
The PriestGeorge Washington National Forest5,737
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
References (26)
  1. Alderman, John (NC Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. February 2000.
  2. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  3. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  4. Grady, J. M., and R. C. Cashner. 1988. Evidence of extensive intergeneric hybridization among the cyprinid fauna of Clark Creek, Wilkinson Co., Mississippi. Southwestern Naturalist 33:137-146.
  5. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  6. Lachner, E. A., and R. E. Jenkins. 1971. Systematics, distribution, and evolution of the chub genus <i>Nocomis</i> Girard (Pisces, Cyprinidae) of eastern United States, with descriptions of new species. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 85:1-91.
  7. 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.
  8. Marcy, B. C., Jr., D. E. Fletcher, F. D. Martin, M. H. Paller, and M.J.M. Reichert. 2005. Fishes of the middle Savannah River basin. University of Georgia Press, Athens. xiv + 460 pp.
  9. Maurakis, E. G., W. S. Woolcott, and M. H. Sabaj. 1991. Reproductive-behavioral phylogenetics of <i>Nocomis</i> species-groups. American Midland Naturalist 126:103-110.
  10. McIninch, Stephen P. (Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2001.
  11. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  12. Mettee, Maurice. F. "Scott" (Icthyologist, Geological Survey of Alabama). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. April 2000.
  13. Mettee, M. F., P. E. O'Neil, and J. M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama. 820 pp.
  14. 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.
  15. Nico. L. 2009. <i>Nocomis leptocephalus</i>. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. Online. Available: http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=575. Revision Date: 8/18/2004.
  16. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  17. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  18. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  19. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  20. 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.
  21. Rohde, Fritz (Icthyologist, North Carolina Division of Marine Fishes). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  22. Ross, S. T., and W. M. Brenneman. 1991. Distribution of freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. D-J Project Completion Report F-69. Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Parks. Jackson, Mississippi. 548 pp.
  23. Ross, Stephen T. (University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  24. Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.
  25. Wallin, J. E. 1989. Bluehead chub (<i>Nocomis leptocephalus</i>) nests used by yellowfin shiners (<i>Notropis lutipinnis</i>). Copeia 1989:1077-1080.
  26. Walser, C. A., B. Falterman, and H. L. Bart, Jr. 2000. Impact of introduced rough shiner (<i>Notropis baileyi</i>) on the native fish community in the Chattahoochee River system. American Midland Naturalist 144:393-405.