The body of the roundtail chub is significantly larger forward of the dorsal fin, and posteriorly it is tapered towards the tail.

Recognized subspecies include: The roundtail chub has been extirpated from the Zuni and San Francisco Rivers of New Mexico.

Roundtail chub is a voracious predator, consuming large amounts of fish, crayfish, frogs, and insects.

Roundtail chub adults primarily consume aquatic and terrestrial insects, other fishes, and sometimes algae.

[3] The decreasing population of the roundtail chub is primarily the result of habitat loss as well as predation and competition by non-native fish.

[4] Recent conservation efforts include more research to determine the mechanisms of their sudden disappearance, and population surveys conducted by the Arizona Game and Fish and US Forest Service (in progress).