In the mid-1990s, CFI dedicated countless hours to surveys in search of the elusive Slender Chub. Despite our best efforts the species remained out of reach. Undeterred, we shifted our focus to its close relatives, hoping they could provide valuable insights.

From 1999 to 2001 we had the opportunity to work with both the Blotched Chub and Streamline Chub, using them as surrogates to better understand the life history of the elusive Slender Chub. Since so little was known about the Slender Chub’s reproductive biology, our goal was to gather insights that could one day help in successfully rearing this very rare species.

At the time, we kept both the Blotched and Streamline Chubs in a 100-gallon aquarium tank where they proved to be relatively easy to spawn. Both species scattered their eggs in the gravel, and we carefully vacuumed the eggs from the substrate before placing them in incubation trays.

It didn’t take long to notice distinct differences between the two species as they developed, which gave us hope that if we ever had the chance to work with Slender Chubs, we’d be well-prepared to propagate them.

Every project like this helps us build a stronger foundation for conservation, and while we haven’t yet had the opportunity to work directly with the Slender Chub, our experiences with its close relatives bring us one step closer to that goal. Although the Slender Chub hasn’t been seen since 1991, we haven’t given up hope. We remain optimistic and ready for the day this species makes its return!

More recently in 2022 we had another opportunity to work with the Blotched Chub. This time it was in collaboration with the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) in Virginia, a mussel hatchery doing important conservation work to restore populations of rare mussels. They needed a large number of Blotched Chubs to serve as hosts for the rare Appalachian Monkeyface mussel (Theliderma sparsa). 

Mussels, which can move only very small distances as adults, have found many ways to utilize stream fish to help them carry their young to different parts of the stream. Female mussels will lure these fish near them, close enough to spit larval mussels (glochidia) onto the fish, allowing the glochidia to hitch a ride on the fish’s scales, gills, or mouth. The fish then swim around the streams, as they do, distributing the glochidia further and wider than their mother had the capacity to do.

Therefore, mussel propagation facilities need fish! CFI was able to collect and breed a small handful of individuals, allowing us to produce hundreds of Blotched Chubs. By propagating these fish in our facility we were able to help protect their wild populations from overcollection, all while supporting mussel propagation—a win-win for aquatic conservation!