Scientific Name: Gila cypha
Habitat: deep, fast-moving, turbis waters often associated with large boulders and steep cliffs*
Diet: small aquatic insects, diatoms (a group of eukaryotic algae**), and filamentous algae*
Coloration: green to silver and white*
Mating: April through July during high floes from snowmelt is spawning time for the humpback chub.* The cheeks and venter (I have no idea what this is, but I will find out and let you know) of males develops a red tinge during this time.*
Fun Facts: Humpback chubs are members of the minnow famila, can grow to about 18 inches in length, and have the characteristic hump behind the head.* They are also endangered.*
Sources:
**http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatom (yes - diatoms do look like the picture. I've seen them in my bio lab.)
Hey! I thought I'd asked a very important question about these animals, but now I don't see the post! It was something to the effect of: Do humpback chubs have to go to the chiropractor to get themselves straightened out? Hmmmmph ...
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