Several ways to tell creek chubs from bluntnose minnows. Some of the more prominent ways are:
1. compare the mouth of a bluntnose and creek chub. Mouth shape and location on the snout are completely different. Mouth will be noticably larger on a chub vs BNM. BNM have a rounded nose with the small mouth slightly below the rounded snout and c.chub has a more pointed snout, not rounded, and mouth of c.chub starts at the point or end of snout and slants back and downward- notice that on the last picture above.
2. BNM has a more prominent spot at the base of the tail compared to a c.chub. What appears to be a spot at the base of the tail in the above picture is actually the end of the lateral dark band on the side of the c.chub above. Body color can vary based on spawning condition and the water quality where the fish was collected - light, dark, clear, stained, greenish, gray-muddy-dirty.
3. Look at the scales on top and in front of the dorsal fin of the c.chub above. Compare the top view and the picture below it of the nice side view. Those scales do not "stand-out" or appear distinctly separate. On a bluntnose, those scales will always "stand-out, be individually distinct looking and appear "crowded" toward the front especially when viewed from above. See the picture of a BNM in this link. I'm still looking for a good picture. Try this from nanfa. You will have to type in bluntnose minnow in the Search Gallery located in the upper left hand corner.
http://gallery.nanfa.org/main.php4. In cross section the bluntnose is round while the body of the c.chub is more compressed and slightly higher bodied.
5. If you have a bluntnose or c.chub and it is longer than 4", it is very likely a c.chub. BNM will get to 5" but is it very rare for them to get 5" long. And when BMN are 4" long they appear distinctly different from a c.chub the same length. When c.chubs are 1"-2.5" long they appear similar to the bluntnose and could be difficult for the novice without experience to recognize.
