4 replies to this topic

[nongamer]

 Anybody have expertise with N. micropogon and N. leptocephalus​​?  I don't see Blueheads in PA and would like to have some good characters to use for field/lab ID's.  Any advice would be much appreciated.

[smbass]

Adult males should be easy, tubercle pattern is quite different. River chub have tubercles mostly on front of head ending near or in front of the eyes. Blueheads the tubercles are up on top of the head with none on the front  of the snout. River chub are a little more elongate to my eye and blueheads are stockier. Other than these very basic things I would have to look them up in a field guide to go into any more detail.

 

Male Bluehead

 

Male River Chub

 

Male Bigmouth Chub just for comparison

 

These three were caught the same day during the collecting challenge at the NC convention a couple years ago. Was pretty cool to see a very nice specimen of all three of these within a couple hours.

[nongamer]

Many Thanks... Are tubercle scars equally reliable?

(P.S. I should have posted this in Scientific discussion, my bad)

[smbass]

Yes you should be able to use those too, again though if you have a male.

[gerald]

Juveniles and females are difficult.  Jenkins & Burkhead's Virginia book has the best comparison I've seen.