Head to head
Chub vs Common Dace
Chub
VS Common Dace
The chub and the common dace are two silvery river fish of the carp family that often share the same stretches of European river, and young chub are regularly mistaken for dace.
| Chub | Common Dace | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Squalius cephalus | Leuciscus leuciscus |
| Relationship | A fellow member of the carp family that shares many rivers with the dace | A fellow member of the carp family that shares many rivers with the chub |
| Head | A blunt, broad head and a large mouth | A small head on a slim body |
| Body and size | A thick, cylindrical, silvery-bronze body with dark-edged scales, reaching around 60 cm and several kilograms | A slim, streamlined, silvery body with a greenish back, rarely exceeding 30 cm in length |
| Diet | An omnivore eating insects, crayfish, snails, small fish, and fallen fruit | An insectivore eating insects from the surface, plus insect larvae and small crustaceans from the bottom |
| Behaviour | Shy and wary, with older fish lying alone or in small groups under overhanging trees and in deep pools | Quick and lively, rising rapidly to snatch flies from the surface, especially on summer evenings, and living in shoals |
| Habitat | Clean, moderately flowing rivers, with some lakes and canals | Clean, fast-flowing, well-oxygenated rivers, with some lakes and streams |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, found across most of Europe and parts of western Asia | Least Concern, found across northern and central Europe and northern Asia |
Chub vs Common Dace: common questions
How can you tell a chub from a dace?
The chub has a broad, blunt head, a large mouth, and a thick, cylindrical body, while the dace is slimmer, with a small head and a more streamlined shape.
Which one grows larger?
The chub, which can reach around 60 cm in length and several kilograms, while the dace rarely exceeds 30 cm.
What does a dace eat?
It is an insectivore, rising to snatch flies from the surface and also eating insect larvae and small crustaceans from the bottom.