Amidst the various harmful changes to aquatic communities that have been observed due to human activities, we sometimes find reasons to hope that some components of these communities can be restored. The Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) is a medium-sized, relatively nondescript minnow that, in New York, has only been collected from the watersheds of lakes Erie and Ontario. This species was last seen during surveys of the Lake Erie watershed in 1929 and has long been thought to be extirpated from the state, largely due to extensive pollution in the lake and its tributaries.
There have been indications, however, that the species is beginning to expand its range to areas where it was historically found. In 2022, a New York angler caught an individual in Cattaraugus Creek that was possibly a Silver Chub. Unfortunately, the specimen was not retained, and photographs were not 100% conclusive. In 2024, the NYSM fish collection received a specimen collected by NYSDEC personnel, also from Cattaraugus Creek, that resembles a Silver Chub in many respects. This specimen, however, appears to be atypical in some ways, again leading to some uncertainty in its identification.
NYSM fish collection scientists are planning fieldwork in western New York for the summer of 2025 in the hopes that additional specimens can be located and genetic samples taken for more conclusive identifications.
