Pale Chub

COMMON NAMES: Pale Chub or Zacco.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Zacco platypus.

DESIGNATION: Coldwater.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Fishes are vertebrate animals. They breathe by absorbing dissolved oxygen in water by using gills. They are found in fresh water as well as sea water. Pale chub fish is one of the famous fishes found in fresh cold water. These fishes are mainly found in England and in North America and in some parts of Japan too. They are mostly caught for sport and food. They have a large mouth to accommodate various appetites. Chub fishes are also known as coldwater species. They are mostly found in water temperature from 8-20degree Celsius. It found in fast flowing rivers and streams. They can also be found in still waters. Chub fishes are good swimmers and like to swim in deep as well as in shallow water.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: Pale chub fish have black tails and have dark olive grey or green backs and silver sides. They swim by using their fins, which are silver in color. Chub fish’s body is thick and streamlined. They usually have brassy colored flanks. The anal fins of fish are orange in color. The dorsal fins of chub fish are convex in shape. Their body is thick and streamlined. Chub fish is found in every month of the year. It can be seen in water from 9am to 4pm. It is said to be the fisherman’s best friend. Chub fish is listed as the harmless fish. It is not an expensive fish and is eaten in all months.

SIZE: Around 18 cm (c. 7 in).

WATER PREFERENCES: Not critical in terms of pH, but well-aerated, filtered conditions are preferred.

DIET: All foods.

Feeding Pale chub fishes are omnivorous. It means they eat fish, insects and vegetable matter too (silkweed, berries and algae). Chub fish of over 3lb may eat small bullheads, roach and dace. They don’t have teeth in their mouth; they possess a mighty pharyngeal tooth, located at the base of the throat. With the help of it, fish can eat any food item. Depending on the type of food available at any particular time, chub fish quickly preoccupies with certain food.

BREEDING: The sexes are quite easy to differentiate, for males have a longer anal fin than females. They also develop nuptial tubercles, in a similar may to many other cold water Cyprinids. No reports of successful aquarium spawnings are yet available. During its mating season, male chub fish changes its color rapidly. This sudden change is to impress the female fish. The female fish have silver fins. They are more active in nature than the male fish.

DESCRIPTION: Z. platypus is recently imported to Europe from Japan. It is a fast-swimming fish with excellent jumping ability. A good aquarium cover is, therefore, essential.