# Utah Chub (*Gila atraria*) The Utah Chub is a friendly fish that lives in lakes and rivers. They have a shiny body and love to swim in schools with their friends. They are an important part of their watery home! - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Utah Chub](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/683211706/medium.jpg) Photo: Evan, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/683211706) ## Appearance The Utah Chub has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a dark olive or brownish back and silvery sides. Its mouth points slightly downward, and it can have a faint dark stripe along its side, making it blend well in various water environments. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Cypriniformes - **Family:** Cyprinidae - **Genus:** Gila ## Interesting facts - Sometimes, so many Utah Chubs school together that they look like a moving dark cloud in the water! - Their scientific name, Gila atraria, means 'dark chub,' even though many are quite silvery. - These hardy fish once thrived in ancient Lake Bonneville, a massive prehistoric lake! - Utah Chubs can change their color slightly to better hide from hungry predators! ## Special abilities - **Super Survivor:** Utah Chub can live in many water types, from clear mountain streams to salty lake edges, because it tolerates wide temperature and salinity changes. - **Group Gatherer:** Utah Chub forms huge schools, which helps them confuse predators and find food more easily as a big team. - **Menu Master:** Utah Chub has a flexible diet, eating plants, insects, and tiny creatures, which helps it survive when food is scarce. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 10-45 cm - **Weight:** 0.05-1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-10 years - **Swim Speed:** 8 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 20 m - **Water Type:** Freshwater ## Diet & Feeding An omnivore, the Utah Chub eats almost anything it can find, from plants to tiny insects! - **Age differences:** Younger chubs primarily eat tiny plankton, shifting to a broader diet of insects and plant matter as they grow. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, zooplankton, algae, detritus - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Largemouth Bass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/largemouth-bass) (*Micropterus salmoides*) — An introduced predator that significantly preys on chubs. - **Eats:** [Osprey](https://www.snappit.app/explore/osprey) (*Pandion haliaetus*) — This fish-eating bird is a common aerial predator. - **Eats:** Plumose Midge (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Utah Chubs frequently consume these small aquatic insect larvae. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always stay close to an adult when near water to stay safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Utah Chub? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Utah Chub? 10-45 cm ### How much does Utah Chub weigh? 0.05-1.5 kg ### How long does Utah Chub live? 3-10 years ### What does Utah Chub eat? An omnivore, the Utah Chub eats almost anything it can find, from plants to tiny insects! ### How fast can Utah Chub swim? 8 km/h ### Where is Utah Chub usually found? Wetlands ### How does Utah Chub hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Jackson Lake Lodge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jackson-lake-lodge) — Wyoming, US · Historic Site - [Mormon Row Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mormon-row-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Utah Chub: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/utah-chub)