A fish which can withstand many different environments, the creek chub's current range is the eastern two-thirds of the US and southeastern Canada.

Thriving in small stream environments, the creek chub gravitates toward areas of weeds to appear secure and avoid predation.

Varying in environments containing a multitude of substrates, they have been documented over gravel, sand, silt, rubble, mud, boulders, clay, bedrock and detritus bottoms.

The creek chub has been known to slightly differ in coloration, containing black backs with a brown or yellowish middle lines.

Additionally, juvenile males develop a rosy band on their sides, along with glossy, dark dorsal fin spots.

[7] The scales of this species are quite unique to the needs of the creek chub, ultimately helping to protect and maneuver.

They also have leptoid scales, which are flexible plates of bone which help to protect the fish from prey and act as armor.

As the creek chub develops, traveling outside its radius, it engages in aggressive behavior with other members of the species.

They will be present in larger creeks and rivers, but they will no longer be a dominant species, and their population numbers will suffer from predation.

Large chubs actively forage for 1–2 hr, then wait in their environment to feed on drift items.

Often, these reproductive cycles occur in communal nesting sites, where the male controls the territory and protects it from intruders.

[15] During the breeding season, males grow small, keratin-based bumps, called nuptial tubercles, on their head, which are used in ritualized combat.

The creek chub is often preyed on by species ranging from birds to fish, such as loons, kingfishers, brown trout, northern pike and smallmouth bass.