How does it look?

Chub is a medium to large freshwater fish characterized by a massive head and a broad forehead. In Latvia, chub can reach a length of up to 56 cm and a weight of 3.7 kg. The body is slim, roughly cylindrical in cross-section. The mouth is large and forward-facing, featuring a long lower jaw. In the throat, there are two rows of teeth, large and ending in a hook. The back is greenish-black, and the sides and belly are silvery. A distinctive feature of chub is a dark edge on each scale.

Where does it live?

Chub is found in many rivers and some flowing-through lakes in Latvia. It prefers to inhabit small, fast-flowing rivers or large streams with clear, clean water, especially in areas with deep spots, pits, and riffles.

What does it eat?

Chub feeds on benthos, insects that fall into the water, larvae, freshwater shrimp, and small fish. Larger individuals primarily feed on fish.

Interesting and important facts

The reproductive maturity of chub occurs at the age of 2-12 years, reaching a length of 12-35 cm. Spawning takes place from March to July, and the fertility ranges from 1.5 to 215 thousand eggs. Chub can form hybrids with various other fish species, including dace, roach, rudd, perch, ide, bream, and vimba.

Information sources: Wikipedia

Image author: Anastasija Ovsepjana