territories in moderately swift water over beds of gravel or near pits constructed by various minnow species. Males do not initiate the digging of nest pits, but will modify existing pits by pushing stones around with their snouts. Females congregate upstream of males in quiet water, periodically drifting tail first into male territories. Once in a male's territory, the female digs in the gravel with her snout, apparently signaling to the male that she is ready to spawn. In contrast to most species of suckers, creek chubsuckers frequently engage in trio spawning involving two males on either side of one female. Actual spawning lasts three to five seconds as the males press against the female. Both release gametes while quivering and stirring the substratum with their caudal and anal fins. The fertilized eggs are demersal and semi adhesive. Color varies from light to deep golden yellow, and yolk occupies most of egg with no oil drops in the yolk mass. Egg production has been extremely variable with anywhere between 8,500 and over 80,000 eggs being produced by a single female. Regardless of high fecundity this species is not found in high numbers. Females may live for 6 or 7 years, though males only live for 5 years. Current management Currently, the creek chubsucker is of least concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The presence of creek chubsuckers usually indicates the presence of other, more desirable game species. There is currently no management plan to control or monitor the fish. Because of its wide range, the creek chubsucker is native to many areas that fall inside the boundaries of protected national and state parks, and this will hopefully ensure its existence for future generations. Several anthropogenic factors have been noted as leading to the decline of the creek chubsucker like areas where siltation pollution occurs. Siltation pollution is produced from a variety of sources including but not limited to construction, logging, and agricultural practices. Dams may also be of concern for the species however most areas inhabited by creek chubsuckers are small order streams and may not be suitable for dam construction. Management recommendations The creek chubsucker is an important species in lotic water systems. It is a fish that turns over energy by consuming vegetation detritus. The creek chubsucker also regulates population levels of macro-invertebrates and algae, and it serves as an important prey fish for