Tui Chub question

[Slims]

Hello everyone. I have a quick question: A few years back I identified this fish as a tui chub with some help from people on this network.



If I am correct and this is a tui chub, they are an endangered species correct? I am curious because I noticed today there is no entry for the tui chub on the cali state fish records list. I catch a few pretty fat boys every year when I am fishing in the june lake loop, and if I catch one this year I will probably enter it to the IGFA or something, unless because it is an endangered species they wont accept it, or it would be frowned upon to enter such a fish. So, I wanted to check on the norcal board to make sure it was identified correctly, and if so is there a record somewhere I am not finding?

I thought it would be cool to be in a record book, even if only for a while.

Thanks guys.

EDIT: Of coarse I would just measure, weigh, photograph and release. I would never keep such a fish in case any of you were wondering if I planned on freezing it for inspection. It isnt that important that I would kill an endangered species, I just figured it would be fun.

Thanks again.

[rusty6]

no way is that a tui chub. Length has been recorded at up to 45 cm, but 25 cm is more typical. that looks to be quite a bit larger than 4.5 centimeters. maybe grass carp or a squawfish?

[Crab]

I dont know, but those things are in the thousands over in Walker lake,Nv.
Fact is the lake is dying because of low water flows(ranchers have the water rights)
I've caught tons of them and not all survived.
I thought they were Tui chub.But I have to agree, they seem too big to be them.

[Slims]

I know for sure it isnt a grass carp, I have caught a bunch of those and they are nothing alike. Ill check around though to see if I can find a good pic of a squawfish.

[Bison]

That is a tui chub! there are a bunch in the 6" range in the big hole at EW. if you watch the water long enough you'll see chunks of em floatin by after the browns get a hold of them. Also I've seen some big ones like that under the bridge at benton.

They are a protected to my knowledge. Due to low numbers. And I do know that browns are much bigger in waters with chub present.

Also that is not a squawfish, I have caught plenty and there are major differences between the two.

[Badfish2]

The Owens Valley/River Tui Chub IS an endangered species and is native to the owens valley/river areas. Please do not fish for these

[Nessie Hunter]

Not likely a Tui Chub, way to big (hard to see it in the pic??)...

More likely a Squawfish (Pike minnow) They get much bigger (up to 3 ft?) and are predators that will hit lures etc.. The Squawfish is in the Carp family, But mouth is much different like a Pike (toothy & longer)..

First Pic Below is a Squawfish..

Then a couple of Tui Chub Which averages 4 inches long or so.. (small like bait fish minnow)..
OK< wont load the other pic of Tui Chub..
First is Squawfish. then Tui Chub...
The mouth in your pic is distorted?? but does look more like the Tui Chub....??
BUT?? the tail is V shaped like a Squawfish!!!!

[fishdemeanor]

Maybe a Sacramento Blackfish?!? Hard to tell with the lip grip.

[Slims]

It is definitely not a squawfish. The mouth on these fish are very small, actually hard to lip. And, there are no pike like teeth.

Here is another pic that might better represent how small the mouth is on these fish. They are very hard to lip actually.



The saga continues I guess. If I get one this july I wll make sure I take a pic of every part of him.

[Slims]

Well, this question is finally put to rest. When I couldnt really get a solid ID, I sent a picture to an ichthyologist from Cal Poly (my old school) and he forwarded it to the DFG. I recieved this email confirming what the fish is and a little about its history:

"Slims,

There is no doubt in my mind you are holding a tui chub in the picture.
I've seen several of that size range from June Lake. Different
subspecies of tui chub attain different maximum sizes, and the one you
caught is a "beaut." We've analyzed the genetics of tui chubs from that
lake (among others) and learned they are hybrids originating from chubs
introduced from the Owens River in CA and Walker River in Nevada. This
probably resulted as an unfortunate consequence of the illegal use of
live bait in the 1950's. Interestingly, some populations of tui chubs
have been shown to live up to 36 years in the wild--your catch may be
older than you are!

Thanks for getting in touch and passing along the picture!

Name Witheld
Senior Biologist
California Department of Fish and Game"