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58 FISHES OF NEW MEXICO by trout fishermen in northern New Mexico who refer to it as a sucker. Many Rio Grande chubs are used as bait: They may be caught by angling with small, baited hooks or with either wet or dry flies. Since they seem to be somewhat competitive with trout, care should be taken not to introduce Rio Grande chubs into waters where they dv not occur. BONYTAIL, COLORADO RIVER CHUB, GII.A TROUT Gila robusta Baird and Girard An adult Colorado River chub is not likely to be confused with any- - thing except its close relative, the Rio Grande chub, from which it differs in having between 75 and 96 scales along the lateral line and between 9 and 11 rays in the dorsal and anal fins. It also has a larger, more spindle-shaped, and better streamlined body. The caudal pe- . duncle is especially slender; its least depth is sometimes considerably shorter than the snout. The size and trim appearance of this fish have led many anglers in southwestern New Mexico to refer to it as the Gila trout. Like all chubs, it may easily be distinguished from the true trout by the absence of an adipose fin. The name bonytail, also- applied to this form, refers to the enlarged basal rays of the caudal fin. The color is silvery or leaden above and white below. Dark blotches occur along the sides more frequently than in the Rio Grande chub. Breeding Iliales have reddish lower parts. Small bonytail are confused with the longfin dace that live in the same area. The longfin differs from both the Colorado and Rio Grande chubs in having a small, but distinct, barbel at the corner of the mouth and a moderately distinct black spot at the base of the caudal fin. Bonytail chubs are found in the creeks and rivers west of the Con- tinental Divide. They are most common near the- heads of pools or in the riffles. Large adults sometimes occupy very fast water. Their food consists largely of insects and other small animals. They spawn in the early summer and grow to a length of 12 to 15 inches. '- When small, this fish serves as a bait and forage fish, and when large as a food and sport fish. Its use as bait in streams and lakes where it does not already occur is not to be recommended because its size and what is known of its feeding habits suggest that it might be a serious competitor of more valuable fish. Reports of "whitefish" taken from an as yet unexplored portion of