Least chub

The least chub (Iotichthys phlegethontis) is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae, the only member of the genus Iotichthys. This species is found only in Utah in the United States. Its native habitat formerly included much of the Bonneville Basin and it was widely distributed in freshwater ponds, swamps, springs, and tributaries around the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake and Sevier Lake. Populations were also abundant in springs within the Snake and Utah valleys. Due to habitat degradation and introduction of non-native fishes, it is currently limited to a few spring complexes. The least chub is a small minnow, with a maximum size of less than 2.5 inches. It is the smallest of seven chubs native to Utah. Least chub eat primarily algae and small invertebrates, including mosquito larvae.Spawning occurs during the spring and early summer. Eggs are fertilized in the water, and then sink until they attach to vegetation or the substrate. No parental care is given to eggs or young. The least chub is a schooling species that prefers areas of dense vegetation in slow-moving water.