The Sicklefin Chub is a tawny brown or greenish color and has sharply pointed, sickle-shaped fins. It grows to a length of 4 inches. It has one small barbel on each side of its mouth. Sicklefin Chubs require continuously and heavily turbid waters of large rivers where it frequents areas of strong current flowing over sand or gravel substrate.
 In Kansas, the Sicklefin Chub is restricted to the Missouri River main stem. Although the Sicklefin Chub has been recorded from the lower Kansas River, those collections were during flood flows. The Kansas River does not provide suitable permanent habitat.

Sicklefin Chubs are protected by the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act and administrative regulations applicable thereto. Any time an eligible project is proposed that will impact the species’ preferred habitats within its probable range, the project sponsor must contact the Ecological Services Section, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, 512 SE 25th Ave., Pratt, Kansas 67124-8174. Department personnel can then advise the project sponsor on permit requirements.

As defined by Kansas Administrative Regulations, critical habitats include those areas documented as currently supporting self-sustaining population(s) of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife as well as those areas determined by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to be essential for the conservation of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife.

 Currently, the following areas are designated critical for Sicklefin Chubs:

 All reaches of the main stem Missouri River that are congruent with the Kansas-Missouri
 border.