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Hop to next section All Fishes Data Sheet
Scientific Name Semotilus atromaculatus  (Mitchill, 1818)
Common Names Creek Chub
Horned Dace
Type Locality Walkill River, New York State, U.S.A.
Pronunciation seh moe till uss - at roe mak you lat uss
Etymology The generic name is from the Greek word, sema meaning banner (in reference to the dorsal fin) and tilos meaning spotted. From the Latin words ater, meaning dull black and maculatus, meaning stained or spotted.
Hop to next section Species Information
Size 303mm or 11.9" SL. Find near, nearer or same sized spp.
Hop to next section Habitat Information
Distribution North America: most of eastern USA and southeastern Canada in Atlantic, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, Mississippi and Gulf basins as far as Manitoba, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas, but absent from southern Georgia and peninsular Florida; upper Pecos and Canadian River systems, New Mexico.
IUCN Red List Category Least Concern, range map and more is available on the IUCN species page. Last assessed 2012.
Temperature 15.5-23.5°C or 59.9-74.3°F (Show species within this range)
Hop to next section Husbandry Information
Feeding Flake, Pellets, Brine Shrimp, Bloodworms, Insect Larvae, and most of the commercially available fishfoods. User data.
Suggested Tankmates Other large but more docile North American native fish such as other Creek Chubs, larger Shiners and Dace, Darters, Madtoms, and the more peaceful Sunfish.
Breeding In nature, this species will spawn in early spring when water temperatures rise to at least 55F. Males will dig pits above or below riffles in smooth water with a gravel substrate. The male will then spawn with females and fill the pit with fertilized eggs. Once a pit is full the male will then cover it with gravel and move downstream to create another pit and repeat the process multiple times. Males will typically guard their pits but not always.
Breeding Reports There is but a single breeding report, read it here.
Hop to next section Further Information
Reference American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review v. 2 (no. 5, art. 1), pp 324.
Registered Keepers There is but a single registered keeper, view all "my fish" data.
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Spotters Spotted this species somewhere? Click the binoculars!
There is but a single record of this fish being seen, view it.
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Last Update 2020 Oct 08 14:27 (species record created: 2014 Aug 13 23:03)